From the Heart
by thunder3swords
Summary: Based after the war - Sakura gets on with her everyday life and reminisces about past events. She has several encounters with friends and a certain hero, helping her to make a decision about her future. [NaruxSaku and other pairings]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. I am just a fan having some fun and exploring my own writing style.

**Author's Note:** I am not used to writing fan fiction for Naruto so I can't guarantee the characters will be done justice but please bear with me. If I am honest I am a bit nervous about posting this!

This is a Naruto and Sakura fiction…just thought I should mention that first as there are many who don't agree with this pair and so may not wish to read on. I hope those of you who do like this pair like this story.

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 1**

When did it start? That was a question that she tried to find the answer for herself. She could not be certain, but as she thought about the past and all the events that led up to this moment she figured she would find her answer soon enough. She glanced over at the photograph of team 7 that sat on her desk. Lifting it in one hand she stroked the picture with her thumb and sighed.

She placed the frame down on her dresser and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had gotten a little longer and she wondered if she should cut it short again. Since the war had ended and peace filled the lands it may not be necessary for her to take part in combat any as much. Although there would still be missions or criminals to catch she was needed elsewhere. Plus she still had her work at the hospital to do too… She ran her hand through her hair and twisted it a little at the end. She found herself wondering why she wanted it long in the first place.

_Sasuke _she realised with a sigh. How naïve she had been when she was a child. She had grown her hair long because rumour had it that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. Thinking about it now, where did that rumour come from? Sasuke sure as hell wouldn't have said anything about it himself. He was so indifferent back then and couldn't really care less what a girl's hair looked like. She sighed to herself and a small smile came to her face. She had so desperately wanted to impress him that she fell into the same trap as other girls and before she knew it she was competing with Ino and trying to look pretty to gain his attention.

She should have known better. From the start Sasuke was not the type of guy who cared about looks. In fact, as she thought about it, the only time he appeared to acknowledge her, or any girl for that matter, was when it came to being useful in a fight or on a mission. Naruto however, he was different, she didn't have to do anything for him to notice her. It seemed that everything she did to try to impress the dark haired Uchiha was only ever noticed by someone she tried to avoid and ignore.

She thought back to the moment she first became aware of the knuckle head_…_

_*Flashback* _

"Don't go near that child" a mother warned her son.

"He is a demon" a man muttered to another man.

Sakura stood behind her parents and held onto her mother's top. She was uncomfortable and a little scared. The way the adults were talking made her think that something terrible had happened. She gripped tighter onto the material in her hand in fear of being lost amongst the crowd. She was not completely sure as to what was happening, but as the crowd slowly cleared she finally found the courage to look beyond her mothers legs. What she saw was no beast. No monster. He was just a little boy about her age. His hair was a little ruffled and he had a bit of dirt on his nose, but it was the expression on his face that shocked her most. He looked so sad and scared. She stared at him for a moment. His fists were clenched and she could tell he was trying to fight back tears that threatened to fall. She caught his gaze momentarily and noticed that his eyes weren't as scary as she thought they would be. They were a piercing blue and the moment they met hers his expression changed. He seemed to relax a little. She wanted to smile at him to cheer him up, but at that moment her parents decided to move on and she was forced to follow them reluctantly.

*_End Flashback* _

It was not long after that when Sakura started to notice the blonde haired boy in her class at school. He had been moved from group to group. Apparently not all of the teachers were able to handle his mischievous behaviour. Sakura had soon learnt that Naruto Uzumaki was much more than he appeared to be. On occasion she caught him on his own and he always appeared sad. Most of the time his actions were purposely aimed at pulling pranks on the grown ups. It was years to come before she would realise that his efforts were to desperately try to gain attention and recognition. He didn't care who from or how short lived it was, he just wanted to be noticed. She sighed, it must have been really hard for him growing up. Biting her lip she suddenly regretted all the times she shot him down. It was stupid because her actions were not always what she was really thinking inside.

Sakura knew that the person she was back then would never have made anyone aware of how funny she found Naruto at times or how she wanted to reassure him. She was the type back then who wanted to fit in and so when the other children made comments or passed judgement on him she followed suit. That and she knew all too well what it was like to be picked on. She didn't want to end up going down that route again. She was grateful to be the type of woman now that did not cower away from things. If not for Ino, Naruto and Sasuke she may not have gained such confidence in herself.

Thinking back to her blonde haired team mate Sakura couldn't help but recall how Naruto was known as the prankster and idiot of their class. _Nothing much has changed there, _she thought with a smile. His behaviour had been embarrassing and hard to watch at times and she had often scolded him. Everyone's opinion of him back then was not high and she had to admit that she had once believed him to be inferior to herself and not worth her time. In fact it was partly because of Naruto's competitive streak that she noticed Sasuke more and more. Sasuke appeared to be 'cool' and 'aloof'. He was smart and talented, someone she admired and hoped to be like one day. Naruto would get easily jealous and embarrass himself against Sasuke, which in hindsight only ever made the latter appear more intriguing and mature and the former look like an idiot.

She picked up her hair brush and started running it through her locks. As she tied her hair up into a pony tail she found herself thinking back to the time she was announced to be part of team 7. She laughed softly to herself as the memory of Naruto and Sasuke kissing flooded her mind. Back then she was so angry with Naruto and horrified at the image before her. Yet now she realised how funny the scene actually was. For a second she allowed herself to picture a similar scene with the two guys now. It was only a fleeting moment but she soon stopped her thoughts as she noticed her cheeks heating up a little.

Shaking her head she came back to her senses. She picked up her head band and studied the leaf symbol on it. Biting her bottom lip, she remembered her 12 year old self. How irritating she must have appeared, fawning over Sasuke so much. She could barely get two words together when in his presence. Yet at the same time she had to admit she had some resolve which has stuck with her throughout the years. She had learnt pretty quickly that she too could be a little competitive and would strive to do her best to impress the one she liked.

She recalled being envious of both of Sasuke and Naruto. They were strong and always seemed to be several steps ahead of her. It was a long time before she could catch up to them and she had a lot to learn about herself on the way. Sasuke was a proud guy. He knew exactly what he wanted and what he had to do to achieve his goal. That level of ambition was admirable. In the end he even reached that goal, even though others may have deemed it unforgivable, he lived by his code. She was in awe of him. Thinking back it was probably this that drew her to him in the first place. He was something she wasn't. Confident and self assured.

Yet Naruto was also the complete opposite of her, although with regard to their sense of humour she had to admit they had something in common. He was confident, proud, out going, impulsive and the class joker. It took a long time before she was able to gain the confidence to interact with others, if not for someone like Ino she would have probably been as shy as Hinata. It was in that respect she realised that even though she shunned Naruto, in the end she was the same as him. She too acted against her natural personality to gain attention from others, well from mainly one person in particular. She had learnt quickly to keep her aggressive and opinionated personality to herself and to try to act more like a lady. Hiding her true self behind a mask, _inner Sakura _developed.

"Hmmm" she mumbled to herself as she tied her head band to her head. Removing strands of wandering hair from her line of vision, she moved her head from side to side and checked out her appearance. Standing up she adjusted her outfit a little and reached for her weapon and medic pouches…They may be at peace for the time being but she was still going to be prepared just in case. Picking up her medical uniform she headed out of her room and down the stairs, grabbing some breakfast on route.

As she munched on the sweet dumblings she glanced out of the window and reminisced a little more. Naruto and Sasuke both had ambition and drive. A reason to fight and a destination to reach, but what was her goal? Back then Kakashi had asked each of them in turn and she had failed to answer him sensibly. Instead she was too caught up with boys than thinking of her own future. "I still don't really know what I want" she realised, speaking out to no one in particular.

Over the past few years she had focussed her attention on a goal; The same goal as Naruto's - to get their friend back. She had trained so she could protect the people dearest to her and not let them down or hold them back, yet at the same time she often wondered how much of this she was doing for herself. She had thought her reason selfish at first, but Naruto had helped to keep her hopeful that not all was lost and it wasn't impossible. But despite his steadfast personality and the fact he never went back on his word, she realised she did not hold the same ideals as him. She had been willing to give up on that goal, that dream, and it was at that moment she had realised that she needed to search deep down within herself to figure out what it was she truly wanted.

_Well I am not going to figure it out just sitting here, _she scolded herself and got ready to leave the house and head to work.

….

"Morning bill board brow" a familiar voice chirped sweetly. Sakura knew immediately who it was and smiled to greet her friend.

"Morning Ino pig" she said, although with less venom as she did a few years ago. The two were no longer competing for Sasuke's affections but still held a little competitiveness between them. They were unable to let go of their pet names for each other that easily.

"Off to work again?" the blonde asked. Sakura nodded. "You sure you aren't over doing it a little?" she continued.

The pink haired girl shrugged and shook her head, "There are a lot of people who need our help" she explained.

"Yes the war hit us pretty bad casualty wise, but still, you have been working long shifts and on a daily basis, you should take a break once in a while" her friend pointed out.

Sakura looked around the town and watched the men and women as they continued to rebuild Konoha. It wasn't completely back to normal yet but she was hopeful that it would give them all the new start they looked forward to. "I will rest when they do" she commented, nodding in the direction of some familiar figures.

Ino followed the gaze of their lead medic and saw their blonde hero trying to compete with their male friends on how much they could carry. Naruto slumped as Lee lifted about the same as him and more so. Each kept adding weights until Choji enlarged one of his arms and out shined them by a mile. "Hey that's cheating!" Naruto complained.

"Isn't that Sakura?" Lee asked, dropping his load onto Naruto's foot without realising and waving over to the girls. Sakura and Ino waved back. It was nice to see them all acting normal for a change, "boys…they never grow up" Ino muttered, gaining a small laugh from her friend.

"Ino" Sakura's voice was soft and she stopped in her movements, watching the others from a distance. Naruto brushed himself off to save face. He and Lee made an attempt to approach their female friends and were pulled back by the collar by an irritated Shino. That guy had a scary side to him that never wanted to be explored.

"Hmm?" Ino responded.

"Do you ever think about the first time we all met?" she asked.

"You mean when I helped you get over your complex?" Ino replied with a grin.

"No…when we first were made into teams" Sakura replied.

Ino nodded and looked over at their friends. Shikimaru approached the group with his hands in his pockets and a yawn big enough to fit a tree inside. "Yeah, I do" she admitted, "Shikimaru was so lazy and Choji just ate all the time. It really drove me mad!"

"And now?" Sakura asked with a slight smile on the corner of her lips.

Ino shrugged and turned away, walking past her friend, "They haven't changed" she stated, then paused in her steps before saying; "Although my opinion of them has". Sakura smiled, not letting on that she noticed the blush on her friends cheeks appear.

"Who would have thought that Shikimaru would have proven to be so smart" the pink haired konoichi acknowledged. After all, his strategy and logic saved them on numerous occasions. Hell, if not for him the boys may have never made it back in one piece when they first went to chase after Sasuke.

"Choji turned out to be more reliable than I thought too." Ino continued, "I was pretty surprised how cute he was when he lost all that weight."

"_Cute?" _Sakura teased, picking up on her friend's choice of words. Ino ignored her and walked on.

"What about Sasuke and Naruto?" The blue eyed girl changed the subject but took note of the look on Sakura's face.

"I guess the same as you…I used to think Naruto was annoying and only ever tried to get in my way, but I was wrong. Before I knew it he proved to me that I shouldn't be so quick to judge others." The medic explained with a soft smile.

"So it is safe to say your opinion of him changed…well that's normal considering he managed to change everyone's thoughts of him in the end."

Sakura nodded, "Yes he did."

Ino tilted her head to look at the woman beside her as they walked in the direction of the hospital. She noticed the day dream expression on the girls face, "So what about Sasuke?" she asked. Sakura's expression changed from thoughtful to a little…guilty?

"Let's just say, my opinion of him changed too" she finished.

Ino was curious to know how but thought better of it at that moment as they bumped into Hinata.

"Hinata, walk with us" Ino demanded.

"Um, okay" the raven haired female was a little surprised at her request. It was rare that the girls spent time together without the guys around.

"Hinata, we were just having a talk about what we thought of our team mates when we first met…what did you think of Kiba and Shino when you first met them?" Ino pried.

Hinata studied both females for a moment before looking at her hands and then at the sky and street in front of her, "Well…Kiba was friendly and nice to me, I admired his energy." She explained honestly.

"What about Shino?" Ino continued the conversation, interested to know more.

Hinata suddenly appeared a little nervous. It was as if she felt guilty for thinking something, eventually she spoke up; "Shino…he scared me at first, but as I got to know him I realised he isn't that bad. He just doesn't like being left out of things" Hinata finished.

"Has your opinion of them changed over the years together?"

"I don't think so…they are still my friends" Hinata said thoughtfully.

"I should have known you would say something like that" Ino sighed. She wanted gossip, but Hinata's feelings weren't going to change over night.

"My opinion of Neji changed in time though" Hinata continued as she thought on, "and of Sasuke"

Her comment caused the other two girls to look at her curiously, "How so?" they said in unison before sharing a look.

"Well, Neji hated me and I desperately tried to fight against that feeling he had. I managed to in the end, thanks to Naruto. As Neji began to let go of his hate I finally got to see the caring person he was and I am glad to have been able to get to know him better." She explained. It made sense to the other girls. They were both there to witness Hinata's fight with Neji in the chuunin exams, not to mention Naruto's fight with him. That was when the truth came to light.

"What about Sasuke?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

"I never really knew Sasuke before. We barely ever spoke and so I wasn't sure what to make of him. I knew he was Naruto's rival and friend and that he had a good side in him, otherwise he wouldn't be surrounded by so many people. Yet he scared me more than Shino or Neji ever could. There was something about him that I couldn't trust." Hinata's statement surprised the other two.

"And now?" Ino asked.

"I don't know. He still makes me anxious, but I find myself wanting to try to get to know him a little better."

Sakura and Ino shared a look between themselves and both smiled. It was reassuring for them that they were not the only ones to have seen a good side to Sasuke. A side they knew was still there within him.

The three girls continued to chat as they walked through the town. They reminisced about their time at school, their entrance exams and theirs adventures with their team mates. Looking back it almost seemed like a dream, like someone else was living the life for them. Yet listening to the girls talk helped to distract Sakura from what was going on in her mind that morning and focus on the day ahead. She was no longer the only person whose thoughts, feelings and opinions had changed over time. Just knowing that made her feel a little more at ease.

…

**A/N: It is just a short beginning, I am warming up! I hope to be able to try to cover all of the NS scenes from the manga from Sakura's perspective. She will recall them as part of her daily life and will have conversations with many of their friends. **

**Please let me know what you think and fill me in on any scenes that you deem a must be! **

6


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. I am just a fan exploring my writing style.

**Author's Note**: Thank you to those of you who took the time to read my first chapter and post a comment. I was surprised to see so many people following this already. I hope I don't disappoint you as I progress with this and continue to do the characters justice.

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 2**

Sakura entered the ward and checked her patient's charts.

"Good morning Haruno-sensei" a male medic greeted her as she arrived at the desk. Sakura looked up at the young man. She was still not used to being addressed in such a formal manner. After the war, due to her role in healing many hundreds of people, she became recognised as a powerful medic and many young students set out to follow in her footsteps. At the time it was welcome considering the number of injured people they had to tend to. Yet before she knew it she was teaching shinobi from across the 5 lands anything from providing emergency first aid to reattaching limbs and removing poison. When time allowed she would give permission for small groups to watch her carefully when she treated serious cases. Several girls and boys proved to be efficient in their chakra control and went on to learn more about the practice. Some were faster learners than others but each played a vital role. The man before her was efficient and meant well but his control of chakra was as bad as her team mates.

"Good morning" she replied, trying her best to stifle a yawn. "How is everyone this morning?" she asked.

The lad scratched the back of his head, "well everyone seems to be okay, but there are a few who refuse to have any treatment from anyone other than yourself" he said honestly.

"Is that right?" She asked with a sigh. Some people needed to accept the fact that she had a life too and to get over it.

"On top of that Lady Shizune has been called out on a mission to assess the damage in a neighbouring land. She had to take a third of our staff with her" he stated. Sakura sighed, it looked like this was going to be another long day.

"Okay, get me all of Shizune's patient files and place them in order of priority cases" she commanded, "In the mean time I will check on these guys" she placed her hand on a pile of charts.

"Yes ma'am" he bowed and scuttled down the corridor.

Selecting a handful of charts she turned around to go about her daily routines.

A majority of those on this particular ward were recovering from their injuries and no longer in critical danger, which was a relief to see. Yet despite that they needed bed rest and time to allow their injuries to heal. Some patient's were more than willing to stay in the hospital, feigning any ailment going in order to stay, yet others wanted to be out as soon as possible to help rebuild their beloved homes. For both types it only took a certain look and a fake smile from the pink haired medic for them to cower in fear and do as they were told. She couldn't help but get a kick out of the power she had and didn't mind being referred to as a younger version of Lady Tsunade. She slowly started to get through the list of difficult patients that refused treatment from anyone but her. It didn't even dawn on her that most of them were male.

As she entered the next ward and approached the bed nearest the window she was met with a familiar pair of eyes.

"Good morning miss" the man spoke up. Upon seeing her he shuffled about in his bed and tried to sit up, but she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"I hear you refused treatment" she said with a gentle but firm voice. The man turned away with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"I am sorry but I just wanted to see you again" he spoke honestly. The pink haired doctor took a moment to sit next to her patient and gave him a weak smile. This man had tried to give her a love letter once, during the midst of battle. Although his wounds were not as serious as some, it didn't mean that the war didn't impact on him emotionally or psychologically. Something like that can really open your eyes to the horrors and cruelty of man, yet also make you see things a little more clearly.

They sat in silence for a moment as she checked him over and marked a few notes on his paperwork. "You should be free to go home in a couple of days, although we will need you back in for regular physio sessions" she stated.

He nodded, "Um…" he was clearly struggling to say what was on his mind.

"You can call me Sakura" she said with a smile. His face suddenly lit up.

"It's an honour Miss-Har…I mean, Sakura-chan" he beamed. Sakura felt a hint of guilt and irritation. Hearing someone else use such a suffix with her made her feel uncomfortable. There was only one person who could get away with calling her that and that was Naruto. Hearing it from someone else just didn't feel right…this realisation surprised her a little.

"Did you get a chance to meet him?" the man asked, cutting into her thoughts.

"I'm sorry" she admitted, having not heard him and needing him to repeat the question.

"The man you have feelings for…did you get the chance to see him?" he asked.

"You are a bit nosy aren't you?" she said abruptly. He suddenly went red and started to apologise but she raised a hand to indicate it was not necessary.

"Yes I saw him again" she answered.

"Did you confess?" he asked, a little hopeful.

She studied him unsure whether she should scold him or not for being so familiar with her, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, "I did not" she replied honestly.

Picking up on the woman's sad expression the soldier tried to console her a little, "Well, I guess everyone has been so busy that there hasn't been a good time for such things. Although admittedly the thought that you could die any moment kind of makes you want to go with no regrets" the soldier spoke up, clearly talking from experience.

Sakura thought about what he said for a moment and then stood from her seated position. He looked at her a little sad to see she had to go, but he understood that he was not the only patient in this hospital. "It's not that I didn't have the opportunity" she admitted, her voice becoming quieter, "and I have no regrets…it's just, I came to realise that the person I thought I loved wasn't the same person anymore and did not feel the same way for me." She looked down at her patient with a sad smile. Her expression cut through him like a knife.

"I see" he replied, "then perhaps I was wrong"

She looked at him puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I thought that the person you liked would be a great guy…sounds like he doesn't deserve you"

Sakura felt herself going pink in the cheeks at the man's words. She suddenly wanted to pry more from this soldier. "A great guy huh?" she quoted him, "tell me, what sort of man do you think would suit me?" she asked.

She suddenly realised what she said and knew from his facial expression that he wanted to say 'me' but something prevented him from doing so. "You don't have to answer that" she said, back tracking her words. She went to turn around and walk over to the next patient.

"All I know is that a true man would protect the woman he loved no matter what the cost and she should feel safe with him, but most importantly, she should be happy" he said from behind her. Sakura did not turn around to look at him and instead gave her gratitude and bid him farewell for now.

…

Once at the other side of the door from the ward the soldier had been in she finally rested her back against the wall and rubbed her face with her hand. The man's words repeated over and over in her mind. _Protect_…_Safe…Happy_ when she thought of these words there was only one person she felt she could truly attribute these to. The image of the person flashed in her mind and her heart started to beat a little faster. Sucking in a deep breath and letting it out again, she shook her head and came to her senses. Now wasn't the time to day dream.

She stopped outside of the next door along and checked her notes. Seeing the name of the occupant she sighed. Hesitating slightly she straightened her back and knocked on the door. There was no response but she didn't expect any. She entered the room and found the brown haired Uchiha sitting with his back turned to her on the edge of the bed. The sound of the door closing caused the man before her to jerk upright and proceed to try to hide a book under the blanket before rushing back into bed and laying on top of the material he had placed there.

Sakura smiled, the guilty look was all too familiar. She caught a glimpse of the book he tried to hide and knew it was one written by the late pervy sage. She didn't know what men saw in those books but suspected that this one probably belonged to Kakashi sensei. She walked up to the end of the bed and picked up his records, examining them and comparing them against her own.

"I see your test results came back negative that is good news" she commented, choosing to save the man some dignity and let him think that she did not see his action. She looked up and a curious Obito sat studying her for a second.

He had a bandage over his head and half his face, covering the place his Rinnegan had once been. Naruto had offered to heal the man's eye like he did with Kakashi, but Obito had refused. He wanted a reminder of the past and wanted to start a fresh. For him this was a small punishment for his sins.

Looking at him now, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the man. Seeing him wrapped in bandages reminded her of a blond haired boy with a cheeky grin on his face. The biggest memory coming to mind was when he was covered head to toe in bandages after Sasuke defeated him. Naruto had looked so sad back then. She was angry with him and herself. She didn't want him to feel guilty or feel like he had let her down. He promised to fulfil his promise, but as grateful as she was to him she also realised back then that she couldn't rely solely on him. If she wanted things to change she would have to help too. If she wanted to prevent Naruto from coming back in a coffin then she would need to be by his side, fighting and protecting him as much as possible. It was a definite turning point in her life. She had thought that during the Chuunin exams she had started to get a reality check and mature, fighting to protect her friends. Yet it was seeing Naruto defeated and wounded that was the true turning point for her. That was when she realised what it was she had to do. She had to get stronger and through any means possible so she could protect them.

_Protect_ there was that word again. Now that she thought about it some more she knew how concerned she felt when Naruto was on deaths door. She was so relieved he was okay and had to fight back the tears that threatened to consume her. She wondered if roles were reversed, how Naruto would have felt if she was dying.

"Is everything okay?" Obito's voice broke through her thoughts and she looked at the man before her. Shaking her head a little she nodded.

"Ay" she replied. Studying the man now she recalled her time with him in the war. She was grateful to this man for saving Naruto's life and at the same time had been envious of him. She had desperately done what she could to try to save the blonde idiot, but all she could do was the basic of medical survival skills, CPR. Her training had come in handy but despite her efforts, death would have been inevitable if not for

Obito transferring the tailed beast's chakra into his body. Just like Yamato sensei, he had a skill that only he could use.

_*Flashback 1*_

_Towering over a collapsed Naruto, layers of skin burnt and peeled off, Sakura desperately tried to heal his wounds. She noticed how slow the fox's power was in healing him compared to usual. She had asked Yamato to teach her how to control the Kyuubi's power within Naruto, but upon hearing that she would never be able to learn such a technique crippled her hopes. _

"_Why is it that all I can do for Naruto is the smallest of things?" she asked, desperate and frightened of losing him. _

"_It isn't what you do for him that is important. It is how you feel." Yamato tried to reassure her. "Sakura, even I can tell just by looking at you that you …" he was cut off by Naruto waking up. _

"_End Flashback 1*_

Sakura suddenly realised that up until now she had never really thought back to that moment before. Now she was thinking about it she wondered what Yamato was going to say to her. _Maybe I should ask him later, _she thought, but she brushed the idea out of her head. Who was she kidding, she already suspected what it was and the guy was probably right. Even this man in front of her now, a complete stranger to her, saw something that she hadn't.

_*Flashback 2*_

_She looked around her and was surprised to see a world very different to how she knew it. It was dark and almost geometrical. She knew immediately that this was some kind of genjutsu or alternate dimension, most likely the result of the Rinnegan eye technique. She had read many books and enough to understand the basic of most techniques, but to experience it herself she would never have imagined the possibility. Considering the circumstances though, she was suddenly relieved to be in a safer place. She let out a breath she had been holding without even realising it and tried to settle her nerves. She had been scared of the power Madara had shown and it took all her strength to focus on the task at hand. _

_She looked down at the figure below her. Naruto was going pale and had blood pouring from his lips. His eyes were dark and sunken and his skin was clammy and getting colder. She continued to squeeze and pump his heart over and over again. Fatigue threatened to consume her but she refused to give up. She forced herself to push through and persevere. There was no way she would allow him to die. He was too important. With no further thought she bent down and pressed her mouth to his, blowing oxygen into his lungs and forcing his body to breathe. _

"_Naruto, don't you dare give up on me!" she scolded him softly in her mind. _

_A figure suddenly appeared before them. _

"_Obito!" she exclaimed, unable to move even if she wanted to. Naruto's life depended on her. _

"_It's okay. I will save Naruto" the man reassured her. She suddenly became suspicious. _

"_Can I trust you?" she asked, but she didn't have the time to think about it as Obito knelt next to Naruto and placed a hand on his chest. Sakura watched in awe as power flowed out of him and into her friend. Realising that this was similar to what Minato had tried to do moments before, she resolved herself to trusting in this man, desperate for Naruto to be safe. _

_After a few moments the man spoke to her, "You can stop that now". _

_She looked up at him, "eh?" was her only response. _

"_Your hand" he indicated, nodding to Naruto's chest. "The power of the tailed beasts should enable him to heal properly now"_

_Sakura looked down at the gaping hole in the side of Naruto's chest. The skin around the sides started to heal a little and she realised that if she didn't take her hand out soon it would stop the wound from sealing over completely. Drawing her hand out she looked down at the blood covering it. Slowly, she wiped as much of his blood off her hand and onto her trousers as she could. She then brought her attention to checking his breathing and monitoring his physical health. _

"_It's up to him now" Obito spoke up, aware of the concern on the pink haired woman's face. She did not reply and instead sat there in silence, watching the blonde boy carefully. She positioned herself to kneel by his head and took his head into her hands, placing it on her lap. Stroking his hair gently she held onto him in the hope that we would eventually gain consciousness. _

_She could feel Obito's gaze on her but she chose to ignore him until he suddenly spoke out loud, "You care about him don't you?" _

_She looked at him and was a little surprised. She bit her lower lip and nodded silently. Off course she did, he was her friend, her comrade and the only one with the slightest bit of chance of beating Madara, he was their hero. "He is always pushing himself too far for everyone else" she explained. _

_Obito nodded in understanding. Naruto never knew him but he still was insistent on helping a man he did not know see reason and forgive him in the process. The boy's willpower was incredible. _

_Naruto stirred silently and groaned. Both of them jumped and moved to look at him. When Naruto opened his eyes he looked up at the girl looking down at him. "Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. _

"_Hey Sakura-chan" he replied with a pained grin. He went to sit up and she tried to protest. Rubbing his head he caught the shape of someone else knelt beside him. Blue eyes met red and grey. _

"_..O..bi..to?" it was clear from his tone of voice he was surprised to see the Uchiha in front of him. _

_The older man looked at the boy and although no words were spoken he suddenly understood something, "What did you see?" _

_Naruto stood up, despite the protests Sakura gave to him, "We have to go" he announced. _

"_I understand" Obito replied, and with out further hesitation he sent Naruto back to the real world. _

_*End Flashback*_

"You seem distracted today" her patient pointed out.

Sakura snapped out of her day dreaming and continued checking him over, "I am just tired" she tried to excuse her behaviour, and although it wasn't far from the truth she wasn't about to tell him what had been playing on her mind lately.

She thought about Obito and wondered what he was like when he was younger. She had asked Kakashi once and he said he was pretty much like Naruto, a big mouth and reckless. Seeing the man now she found it hard to believe. She did not fear him and knew he was just another victim of Madara so she did not hesitate in his treatment. Obito had been ready to sacrifice himself to save them but Kakashi and Naruto, being who they were, would not allow him to get away that easily. Sakura was not sure what Naruto had said to this man to change his heart and mind but she was glad for it. He may have been their enemy once but he was their friend now. To hold a grudge against him would be pointless and also hypocritical. After all, there were others she knew who had also done bad things but she still cared for them, Sasuke being a prime example. Despite everything, he too still had a good side. She had to believe in that or everything she had done so far would be for nothing.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked the older man with a soft smile, placing his records on the bed.

Obito looked at her for a moment and a small grin appeared on his face, "…I'm fine now you are here" he replied.

His response didn't really take her by surprise. If Sakura had a coin for every time she had some smooth talker try to win her over in this place then she would be rich. She had learnt early on to not let such talk phase her and to not get angry about it. If anything it was a compliment. Besides, during a war people experienced all sorts of horrendous deeds and losses. To shoot a soldier down was harsh. At the end of the day all anyone wants is to be cared for and have someone to go home to. Obito was no different. Well, that and the fact that giving patients additional injuries just meant they would be there longer to bother her.

She smiled at him and placed a hand on his head and then his chest to assess his injuries. Obito sat quietly as she continued with her work and she could feel his intense gaze on her. She ignored it as best she could then moved away, made some notes on the chart and turned to address him. "You are healing well. You should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow" she explained. Obito did not appear too happy about this though. He almost seemed anxious.

Sakura knew she was no mind reader but she had learnt a lot from her experiences in life and her interactions with others to be able to predict what was wrong with the man before her. Sighing she said, "You know, if you need a place to stay I can have a word with Tsunade-sama and get you fixed up," she offered.

He looked up at her and a sad smile appeared across his face, "I appreciate the offer" he said, "but I don't know if that is a good idea" he finished.

Sakura scowled and clasped her paperwork against her body. She stood at the end of the bed and looked over at him. Giving him a once over with her eyes she said, "You are a stubborn idiot aren't you". She could tell he was surprised by her remark. She almost surprised herself. Yet something about this guy irritated her, it felt extremely familiar and she couldn't help but feel she could speak her mind to him.

"Look, no one holds a grudge anymore. All we want is to live peacefully, rebuild our homes and bury our dead. We will never forget the war, but we will always celebrate the life we have now. You may feel you don't belong Obito, but Konoha was your home long before it was mine. You deserve to be here just as much as anyone."

Obito sat with his mouth dropped open a little as if he was about to respond. He closed his lips together and looked down at his hands. He couldn't help but feel he was being lectured by his mother.

"Besides, if you skip town Kakashi will go look for you and then Naruto will look for him and we will end up back where we started. I for one wouldn't forgive you if you got them in any more trouble!" She added.

A small smile crossed his lips and he suddenly felt truly grateful to this girl. She had saved his life, forgave his actions and now tried to heal his heart. He owed her a lot. "Thank you Sakura-san" he replied, his mood suddenly lifted, "I will give it some thought" he promised. He knew it wasn't the reply she wanted but she accepted it nevertheless.

"Have I interrupted something?" the voice of the copy ninja asked from the doorway. Sakura and Obito looked his way and shook their heads.

"No Kakashi sensei" Sakura replied, suddenly happy that someone was there to help break the silence she knew would come.

"Your student's have big mouths" Obito pointed out to his friend. Kakashi looked at Sakura who blushed a little and turned her nose to the air as if to plead ignorance.

"How so?" her teacher asked.

"She is demanding I stay in Konoha when I get out of the hospital" the Uchiha replied.

"Is that so?" the silver haired man asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura did not like the suspicious look she was being given or the fact that Obito was making it sound like she was pleading him to stay for some other reason. Deciding to leave the men to it she started to walk out of the room and ignore their accusations. As she approached the doorway she turned and said, "Oh, and Obito-sama, you may wish to remove the book from under you before you crinkle the pages." The bright red face of embarrassment was amusing to see and she closed the door behind her.

….

Kakashi stared at the door for a moment and then to his friend, "So did you like the book?" he asked with a grin clearly evident on his face. He still insisted on wearing a mask but Obito knew by the crease of his eyes that the man was mocking him.

He shuffled about and grabbed the book from under him. "I haven't finished it yet" he answered, "Jiraiya had an interesting imagination though".

Kakashi grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed, "Yes he did. You can keep it if you want. I have loads more copies" he confessed.

There was silence for a moment.

"She reminds me of Rin" Obito suddenly blurted out.

Kakashi looked at him a little surprised by the statement but knew exactly who he was talking about. He nodded, "I guess in some ways she is similar. Maybe that's why I struggled to be a good teacher for her."

"What are you talking about, she came out well" Obito stated.

"None of that was my doing though. If not for the Hokage I don't know what I would have done. Most of my time was spent on Sasuke and Naruto" Kakashi sighed.

"To think I would actually prefer to be lectured by Naruto than I would with her …" Obito thought out loud.

Kakashi couldn't help but agree. After witnessing Sakura punishing Naruto over and over again he couldn't help but feel that one day she may be more fearsome than her master. "Sakura has always had a strong inner will, I'll give her that" he said, "During the chunnin exams she was up against an opponent who could use a mind control jutsu…she was able to over come it through will power alone" he reminisced. "Not to mention she can pack a powerful punch"

"Seems like she is full of surprises, although I bet as tough as she can be she has a sweet spot. I can see why Naruto likes her" Obito acknowledged, "They make a good pair…he is probably the only person who wouldn't die from her challenges".

"Yes" Kakashi agreed, he then paused for a second, "…wait a minute…how did you…?" he was surprised to learn that his friend knew his students feelings after only meeting them a few times.

"It is pretty obvious…the way he looks at her, it reminds me of myself when I was younger" he finished.

They both looked a little sad as they remembered their friend and comrade. The grey haired shinobi finally spoke first, "Obito…about Rin…"

"There is no need Kakashi…just promise me that when I get out of here you will take me to see her" the Uchiha asked with a raised hand. Kakashi understood he meant he wished to visit her grave, he took his friends hand and shook it. "So, tell me…does Sakura feel the same way for Naruto?" his friend asked.

"You seem to have a keen interest in those two" Kakashi pointed out, "perhaps that book I leant you is going to your head"

Obito shrugged in response to his friend's dig, "When I look at Naruto I feel the kid could do anything. He is the complete opposite to me and has achieved in ways I never dreamed of…"

Kakashi studied his friend for a moment and realised that part of him still regretted never having the chance to admit his feelings to Rin and regretted not being able to protect her. Well, if it is one thing the two of them currently had in common, it was to have a happy ending. Kakashi decided to detail to his friend the first time he met his students, their dreams, their first test and their mission against Zabuza to the events leading up to the war, Sakura's confession and Sasuke's attempt to kill her. Obito sat and listened carefully.

"In the end Sasuke and Naruto reached their goals and are now fighting to one day become Hokage. But Sakura…I honestly do not know what she wants anymore. Although I am pretty sure her feelings for Sasuke have changed" Kakashi concluded.

…..

In another area of the hospital a pink haired doctor sneezed profusely.

"Are you okay Sensei?" a brown haired female student asked her master as she stopped mid way through using a patient to teach a group of new starters on how to take blood samples.

"Yes thank you" Sakura responded. She had the distinct feeling someone was talking about her. She did her best to ignore it and turned to continue to give her demonstration. She noticed that her students had turned to look behind them as there was a crash and some commotion heading in their direction.

"Make way!" a paramedic shouted out as they rushed a hospital bed past them.

"Hey wasn't that the guy with the fox demon in him?" a blue haired female student asked.

"How could you tell? I couldn't see anything it was so fast" the guy beside her replied.

It took a second for their teacher to figure out what was just said but as she did so she suddenly dropped everything and ran past them.

"Was it something I said?" the blue haired female asked.

"Don't look at me, I don't understand women's logic" the guy shrugged.

…..

**Authors Note: I could easily keep going but decided to not get too carried away right now! Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading. **

10


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Naruto **

**Author's Note****: Thank you for reading and following this story. Please don't be shy to post comments or give me constructive criticism with regard to my writing style as I am keen to learn and adapt! **

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 3**

Sakura ran down the corridor and watched as a couple of medics rolled the patient into the surgery room, she recognised two figures standing alongside them.

"Is he going to be alright?" Lee asked the young man.

"It is hard to tell, please give us some space, we have to work fast" the young medic replied.

Shikamaru placed a hand on Lee's shoulder and pulled him back gently, "there is nothing we can do here. Naruto will be fine; he has the Kyuubi's healing power after all"

Lee appreciated his friend trying to console him, but felt guilty at the fact he didn't react sooner.

"Lee, Shikamaru?" they turned to face the owner of the voice that called them. Sakura was flushed in the face and running towards them. "What happened?" she asked, a little out of breath.

The two Jounin exchanged looks and Shikamaru nodded, indicating he would take the lead in the discussion. "It's Naruto. He saved a kid from being crushed. One of the buildings wasn't secure enough."

Sakura studied them for a second, she wanted to ask more questions and make sense of the situation but she knew from the expression on Lee's face that this was no normal injury. The longer she remained out here the more risk there was to Naruto. "That idiot!" she muttered under her breath. She ran past them and towards the door. Pushing it open she turned to look at them, "I'll take care of it" she reassured, determination written all over her face. Shikamaru nodded and started to move away.

"Sakura-chan, is there anything I can do to help?" Lee asked, clearly feeling guilty and needing to be of use.

"Just make sure the buildings are secure to prevent this happening again."

Lee nodded in understanding and watched her back as she disappeared into the medical room.

"Sakura looks tired" he noticed, "do you think she will be alright?"

Shikamaru looked over at his friend and towards the door that the pink haired doctor went through. Lee was right, she was worn out. It was no surprise though, considering how long she had been spending in the hospital these days. "If I know Sakura, she probably has a hidden supply of chakra on reserve. I am pretty sure she will use all her strength to heal Naruto" he replied. Lee did not know if he should take that comment as reassurance or not. It was true, but he couldn't help but wonder how far she was willing to go to help everyone but herself.

"Besides, Naruto won't allow her to do too much" Shikamaru added, turning around and walking away. Lee looked at him and felt a little more at ease, Naruto really did care for her after all. He took one last look at the door where their friends were and reluctantly followed the brown haired shinobi out of the hospital.

…..

Sakura grabbed a robe and cleaned her hands to prevent any infection. There were three people surrounding the bed which held the hero of the village. Upon seeing her enter the room they all seemed to become less tense and relieved. She was the most experienced out of all of them and that was always reassuring.

Sakura approached the bed and froze for a second as she took in the scene before her. Naruto lay on his side with a long metallic pole protruding through his waist that appeared to be in about half way. _He must have shielded that child with his body, _she realised, _why didn't he dodge it? _Surely something like this was easy enough for him? She studied his hunched form and could tell from his facial expression that he was in tremendous pain.

"We need to cut his clothing away from the wound to get a better look" she ordered to the girl on her right. The girl nodded in a panic and grabbed a pair of scissors before she began to cut the material away.

"S..s..sa…kura…ch..an" Naruto tilted his head to look at the pink haired woman before him. The pauses in his speech made it clear he was not in a good way, but the smile that appeared on his face showed he was trying his best to not make her worry. That, and the fact he was happy to see her and knew now he was in safe hands.

"Don't move Naruto!" She scolded him. He did as he was told. "Honestly, how do you keep getting yourself in these situations?!" she complained. He did nothing but grin at her. However, this was soon short lived as he coughed and a spurt of blood began to drip from his mouth. _Damn it, he is bleeding internally! _Sakura started to focus on the task at hand. She had to remain focussed no matter what!

With the material cut away she got a better look at his injuries and noticed a lot of bruising, swelling and cuts from wood, metal and glass hitting him. She could tell by looking at him he had a couple of broken ribs. Looking at the boy to her left she said "Bring me clean water". He responded with speed and without hesitation.

With the remaining medic she started to give him some instructions; "I am going to need you to slowly pull out this pole as I heal the wound" The man nodded in understanding. Luckily for her he was experienced and someone she had worked with for a long time in the hospital. He was older than her and able to remain calm in a situation.

Wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve, she took a deep breath and started to channel chakra into her hands, creating a green glow. Shaking hands reached out to begin to examine Naruto's wounds. _Shit, I can't stop shaking! _She shouted at herself. Making a fist and releasing it a few times, she forced herself to compose her nerves and make another attempt. This time she felt more in control but knew she was now relying heavily on the last of her chakra and adrenaline.

'_The kyuubi's power isn't working as quickly as it used to' s_he noticed, concern forming on her brow. She looked at Naruto's face as he grimaced and yelled out in response to the metal object slowly sliding from his body.

Blood began to pour out of the wound once the object was removed and she could see him beginning to go pale and white in the face. "Sa…chan…si..ck" he moaned. The younger female medic held a bowl out in front of him so he could throw up into it.

"Naruto, please, you have to keep still!" Sakura shouted. She knew the request was almost unreasonable but the procedure to mend veins and muscles was not an easy one. As she focussed on closing the wound Sakura could feel her whole body becoming very tense and a pain started to shoot up from her shoulder blades to her forehead. She tried her best to ignore it and shake it off.

"I need you to keep wiping the blood and dirt away from the wound as it heals" she told the boy who brought the water. He did as he was told.

The process was slow and seemed to take forever for all of them, but the worst was soon over.

"Whew" the younger girl said when she thought they were finished.

"It isn't over yet" the older man replied, "There are some broken bones needing repairing." He looked up at the pink haired woman before him and could see she was physically and mentally exhausted, but too stubborn to stop. She seemed gaunt in the face and he watched her carefully while she looked down at the patient. Naruto had passed out. The man coughed and gained her attention, as she looked up at him he said, "Let me do the rest."

Sakura looked from him to the two students and back again. She was reluctant to let go but could also feel her body wanting to give in on her as the adrenaline started to leave her system. '_I must have been more worried than I thought' _she realised as her body started to tremble. Realising that she couldn't do much more she had to force herself to resign for now. She nodded to the older man and took a step back, allowing them to take over. She had to have faith that they could handle it. "Call me when he is out" she said before leaving the room.

As she closed the door behind her Sakura leant against it and gave out a huge sigh. Resting her head against the cold metal surface behind her she forced herself to loosen her grip on the handle and slowly step away. _Is this the only way I can help him? _She thought, _why does it always have to be like this?_

"Sakura?" the soft voice of Hinata caused her attention to look to her left.

"Is the moron going to be alright?" Kiba asked as he approached his team mate. Sakura looked from one of them to the other and nodded. She could tell Hinata was worried and understood why. The girl was in love with him after all and she too felt that there was not a lot she could do for him.

"He is stable" Sakura finally managed to find a little energy to speak, "he just needs rest." She didn't want anyone to disturb him right now and she couldn't help but feel a little selfish too. She wanted to be the first one there when he woke up.

Hinata's expression changed from worried to relieved in an instant. "That is reassuring" she said, grasping her chest with her hand.

Kiba looked down at the dark haired girl beside him. Sakura noticed that his gaze lowered and seemed a little sad for a moment. He rubbed his head with his hand and looked up at the door behind Sakura, before meeting her gaze. "Tell that idiot when he wakes up that he needs to be more careful."

Hinata looked up at her team mate, a little surprised but also a little happy. Kiba liked Naruto more than he let on at times. He looked down at her, "Come on Hinata, let's get out of here, Akamaru is waiting…besides I can't stand the smell in this place" he said, rubbing his nose and shaking his head slightly. Hospitals for some reason just made him think of death and disease. It was an uneasy feeling.

Sakura tried to walk away from the door and made a step to follow them but started to get black dots in her line of vision. Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes she tried to focus, but she should have known better as a medic what this meant.

"Sakura are you okay?" Hinata asked nervously. Her question forced Kiba to stop walking and turn around.

Sakura nodded, "I am just tired" she said honestly.

"You should rest. You will be no good to anyone like this" the wolf like boy scolded gently. Trust Kiba to always say what was on his mind and not mince his words.

"Perhaps" Sakura had to admit that he was right. Taking slow steps to her left she aimed to sit down on the chairs along the side of the hall. She paused mid way as she could feel her head going groggy. Dizziness threatened to consume her. The last thing she remembered was a pair of hands catching her and the soft voice of a concerned female.

…

_Sakura turned to look around her and her heart started to beat faster and harder than ever before. The increasing pressure felt like it would consume her and her breathing became laboured, as if she was going into a panicked. She tried to control her breathing by closing her eyes and holding onto her chest with her hands. 'Why won't it stop?' she asked herself over and over again, dropping her weight to the floor so she was on her knees. _

_She landed with a thud and tried to brace her fall with her hands, but her hands touched something soft and she opened her eyes. 'No' she whispered in horror. A body lay before her, blood spurting from the soldier's head, his internal organs pouring out of him. The smell…the smell was horrendous. _

_She flinched away in horror and moved her hands away. Looking at them they were covered in blood. She lifted her head and scanned the area once more. There were corpses everywhere. 'There are too many' she thought, 'I can't save them all'. She felt overwhelmed and intense pressure. _

'_Naruto…' she whispered his name. Where was he? She suddenly realised he was no where to be seen. Her heart beat faster as panic threatened to eat away at her nerves. She forced herself to stand up slowly, wobbling slightly as she tried to maintain her balance. She picked up a kunai from a soldier that lay by her feet and started to step around the bodies and into the sea of red. _

_She kept walking for what seemed like an eternity. The blood was now up to her knees. Where is everyone? She thought, dismay filling her heart. "Sakura-chan" she looked up and turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. Up ahead she could see a tall, masculine figure. She started to rush towards him, horror stricken to find his blond hair was now stained pink. _

_She reached out with her hand to touch his back. She tried to call his name more than once but the words would not come out of her. She placed a hand on his shoulder and her finger tips started to burn, why was he so hot to touch? _

_Naruto turned around slowly and she found herself backing away in shock. Something was not right and she feared what she would see. She no longer wanted to look but could no longer run from it. The blond figure before her had a sword protruding from his chest. The sword was too familiar. 'No' she shouted, tears beginning to fall from her cheeks. _

_The blond man fell to the floor in a heap on the ground and a shadow stood over him. _

"_You did this" the figure said with a grin. _

Sakura bolted up right and took Ino by surprise.

"So you are finally awake, you know it isn't good to fall asleep on duty" the blonde teased, only to stop as she realised that her friend looked like she had seen a ghost. "Sakura, are you alright?" Ino approached the side of the bed and placed a hand on Sakura's arm, she was surprised when she flinched away from her.

Sakura looked horrified and it took time for her to realise where she was and who was with her. "What happened?" she asked, her voice sounding course.

"You collapsed. It is a good job Kiba and Hinata were there to help you. We brought you to a private room that's available" Ino explained.

Sakura pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her head in her hands. She was covered in sweat and felt like she had just run a marathon. Her heart was still racing.

"Seriously Sakura, you are worrying me. What is going on?" Ino started to raise the tone in her voice slightly to try to get control of the situation.

"Nothing, just a bad dream" the pink haired girl replied.

"That must have been some dream." Ino said, taking a step back and picking up a bag. She placed it on the end of the bed, "here, I went to your house and got you some things so you can freshen up and get changed."

Sakura lifted her head and looked at the object, "Thank you" she finally said, snapping out of her thoughts and putting them behind her.

Ino perched herself on the end of the bed, "Sakura, tell me honestly, is this the first time you have had a nightmare since the war?" she asked.

Sakura looked at her a little surprised but the moment she caught her friends blue eyes she automatically avoided them. Ino knew the answer without her friend having to say anything. "I see" she said, "Is that why you have been working all the hours under the sun lately?" she asked.

"No" Sakura lied, "We have been short staffed and really busy" she said, but Ino could read through her friend like a book. She was a little offended that Sakura was choosing not to open up to her as a friend, but let it rest for now.

"You know, Naruto has been asking for you" Ino studied the pink haired girl as she mentioned the name of the village hero.

"…is he alright?" Sakura asked.

"He is fine…I swear he has as many lives as tailed beasts in side of him" Ino said, pulling out a thermometer from her pocket and forcing it into her friends mouth. Sakura looked at her in a way that showed she was questioning what she was doing. "Don't give me that look. Someone has to take care of you if you won't do it yourself" Ino snapped. She removed the device and raised an eyebrow at the reading, "you have a fever" she stated as a matter of fact.

"I am fine, just over tired" Sakura replied, pushing the device and Ino's arm away from her as she shuffled her legs to hang over the edge of the bed.

"You can keep telling yourself that but I am not buying it. Something is bothering you. You don't have to tell me now, but you need to talk to someone about it" Ino scolded.

Sakura did not respond. Ino picked up a chart and made some notes on it, before handing them over to her friend, "I am signing you off work for a few days" she announced.

"What?!" Sakura tried to protest but her friend shot her down.

"Sakura, you do too much and are at risk of making mistakes if you keep on like this. Please, just let us take some of the pressure for once" Ino's expression was determined and serious. Sakura, realising she hadn't the strength to argue, was resigned to give in.

….

"Sakura-chan…just a little more…" Naruto muttered in his sleep as he snuggled up against a pillow.

"Hey does he always sleep like this?" Choji whispered over to Shikamaru. A small group of friends had come to visit the blond idiot to see how he was once they all finished their days work.

"It must be a wonderful dream" Lee said, seeming a little envious.

"…yeah it's right there…" Naruto said.

"What an idiot, it's a good job Sakura isn't here" Tenten pointed out with hands on her hips, standing at the end of the bed.

"Umm shouldn't we leave him to rest?" Hinata spoke up, feeling a little embarrassed for Naruto that they were all listening into his dreams and uncomfortable with the unwanted thoughts now entering her mind as to what he was asking Sakura to do.

"…Thank you Sakura-chan…is this for me?!" Naruto's tone of voice started to change in pitch a little.

"That's it I've had enough of this!" Kiba snapped, grabbing the pillow from Naruto's arms and smacking him over the head with it.

"Kiba!" Hinata protested.

Naruto rolled over and out of the hospital bed, landing on the cold floor. The group of friends stood waiting as he slowly woke up and lifted his head to peer over the bed. "Huh, Sakura-chan, what time is it?" he asked, yawning and rubbing his head.

"Sakura isn't here moron" Kiba spat, irritated at having to listen to his comrades loved up moans while watching his team mates expression appear as if her heart was being stabbed with every mention of the pink haired girls name.

"Oh, it's you" Naruto's comment caused Kiba to almost lose his temper. Choji and Lee helped to hold him back.

"Naruto-kun, sorry if we woke you" Hinata's voice distracted the blond and he looked at her. The moment their eyes met she could feel her heart flutter and face go red, but she managed to compose herself. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Naruto stood up off the ground and sat back on the bed. He looked thoughtful and placed a hand over his bandages, rubbing his wounds. "I am okay" he replied with his known grin.

"That's good to hear. Sakura said you were lucky. A little higher and she wouldn't have been able to save you" Lee spoke up, having settled the fuming wolf like man and coming to join the side of his friend.

"Sakura…?" Naruto said her name softly and looked around the room, "Where is she, I'd like to thank her." He caught the gaze of Kiba and then of each of the others, they all seemed a little worried about something. Their expressions did not put him at ease and his heart started to race with worry.

Shikamaru suddenly felt a little guilty at the fact he had told the group not to say anything to Naruto about Sakura's current condition. It would only make him worry and he would seek her out. Sakura would then get angry and it could cause a lot of aggravation that wasn't needed for both parties. Besides, all she needed was a little rest and he could see her when she was better. At least that is what he thought. "She went home." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. He just hoped Naruto was smart enough to not ask more questions.

"I see"

The blond mans response was not what any of them expected.

They watched as he sat crossed legged looking down at his hands that were sitting in his lap. Sweat started to form on his face and he gritted his teeth.

"Naruto-kun are you okay?" Hinata asked, stepping forward to look at him.

"She's mad at me isn't she?" he asked, looking up at them a little worried. They all couldn't help but be thankful that he was still dumb.

"Did you guys know it is way past visiting hours?" They all turned in the direction of the doorway to see Ino standing there in a white jacket, with her hair tied back and glasses on. She looked like a teacher and could be as bossy as a military commander.

"Ino…how is…?" Choji began to ask before having his foot stamped on by Shikamaru to shut him up.

"Huh?" Ino looked at her two team mates and gathered she had missed something. She chose to ignore them and walked closer to the bed. She picked up his charts and placed a hand on his head, sending chakra through him to check his statistics. "As expected, Sakura did a good job on you and the Kyuubi's power has finished off the last of your injuries."

Naruto was relieved by this news and began to try to remove his bandages, "Not so fast" Ino scolded, placing a hand on his arm. "You need to stay over night so we can monitor you just in case" This news off course did not help his mood and he slumped back into the bed. Ino turned to the rest of the group and tilted her head to one side, "Come on, he needs his rest, all of you need to leave"

Each of the friends bid Naruto a good night and left the room. Once gone Ino popped her head out of the door and checked that they were no longer in ear shot before closing it again and turning to the blond haired hero to bid him a good night.

"Ino" she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

"Yeah"

"What is wrong with Sakura-chan?" he asked.

Ino found it difficult to look away when his deep blue eyes met her emerald ones. She gave him a smile and shook her head, "She was just tired from working so hard so she went home early" she replied.

"Ino, I can tell that you and the others are hiding something from me…please, tell me the truth, is she alright?" his face was wrought with worry and his gaze was intense. Ino was aghast, this idiot was usually as thick as two short planks at times, even when best intentioned. Yet when it came to Sakura he somehow seemed like the most intelligent man in the world. She sighed and bit her bottom lip, _she is going to hate me for this, _she thought. Yet the moment she thought it she couldn't help feel a little defiant. Sakura was her friend and she had every right to be worried about her. She knew that the man sitting before her was probably the only person that could help Sakura right now.

"…Sakura won't tell me what is wrong" she said honestly, "but she collapsed after healing you" she continued. Her words surprised Naruto but he remained still as he knew she had more to say. "Sakura…well she, she had a nightmare. I don't know what it was about but she woke up shouting your name and looked really shaken."

Naruto tried to comprehend what he was being told.

"Naruto, I don't know if you know but Sakura has been working a lot of hours lately. She says it is because we are short staffed, which is true, but I am worried about her. Something isn't right"

There was silence for a moment.

"I see, well thanks for letting me know" Naruto responded, rubbing the back of his head and giving her a faint smile.

"Naruto…you…" Ino was about to try to say something, to ask for his help, but he raised a hand to stop her.

"Ino…Sakura can take care of herself. She will have her reasons for not discussing what is happening right now but I think it is possible that this is something she has to figure out on her own" he said with a glum look on his face. _Why the hell is his expression so painful?! _She wondered, becoming frustrated. She went to protest but knew that he was most likely right. That notion in itself was irritating her even more as she realised he was acting like an adult.

"Fine!" she was forced to go with it, "Just do one thing for me" she said, and he looked at her a little puzzled, "don't give up on her"

Naruto was surprised by the blonde girl's statement and didn't have time to respond as she waited for him to nod then left the room straight after. _What the hell was that about?! _He wondered, _Off course I would never give up on her. _He shuffled down into his bed and looked out of the window next to him. The Hokage summit could be seen up ahead, although dusk now started to cover it. He suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Sai once. Sai had asked him if he liked Sakura and if he had told her how he felt. Naruto remembered telling him that it wasn't possible for him to do that yet, so for now he would just watch over her. But he had come to realise even more that watching her was no longer enough. _Damn, what should I do? _He wondered. 

…..

**A/N: Well…I hope the characters were not too OOC. Please let me know what you think and why you think Sakura may be suffering? **

**I do aim to have other characters in this as time goes by, but I find myself holding out a little as I am not as confident with writing some characters as I am with others! Hopefully I will get there eventually though. **

**Thank you for your support so far and I hope you keep reading!**

9


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Naruto. I am just a fan. _

_**Author's Note**__: Thank you for your kind comments. I would like to take this time to give a big thank you to Fanwoman for your support and advice. This chapter was inspired by you! _

_While I write this I am stuck in a hotel room far away from home __ So please forgive me for any mistakes! _

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 4**

The streets glistened in the moonlight as the rain filled them. Small rivers flowed across Sakura's feet and she welcomed the feeling that it gave her. She had not been able to sleep properly again and woke up in a poor frame of mind. Sneaking out of the house she decided to take a walk to calm her nerves and clear her thoughts. It wasn't until she reached the trees that skirted around the village that she realised she had been walking with no clear direction.

Pausing in her tracks she finally took a moment to think. She lifted her head to look around her and realised that she was alone. This factor instantly caused her to relax a little. Lifting her head up to look towards the sky, she watched as the rain drops fell down on her. It was heaven bliss, washing all of the pain and sorrow away and making her feel calmer.

Breathing in slowly she closed her eyes and let the droplets cleanse her wearied face. The hood of her cloak fell back and exposed her hair to the elements but it did not faze her. She ran her fingers through her pink locks and wiped her face with her hands.

As the water began to slowly seep its way through her clothes she started to realise that shelter was probably the next thing to look for. Stepping into the protection of the trees she traversed a few yards, stopping when she could see a small clearing beyond the thicket. She stilled her movement as she grew nearer, suddenly realising that someone was up ahead. She became acutely aware of any noise she may have made or was making, but the figure before her did not move.

Skirting around the foliage and hiding behind a large tree that was closer to the clearing, Sakura soon realised where she was and who was standing there. Hinata had her back to her but she knew instantly it was her. She was stood in front of the large memorial where all the names of lost ninja and villagers were listed. Sakura didn't need to be a mind reader to know the reason as to why her friend was there or the fact she was crying. The latter was evident by the way her shoulders shook and her arm wiped her face.

A rustle behind her immediately caused Sakura to turn around. Green eyes were met with large animal ones that shone in the dark. If not for the tall figure standing next to the beast, white matted fur and the smell of dog, Sakura would have been guarded. "Kiba?" she whispered, not wanting to cause alarm or let Hinata know she was spying on her. The wolf like man raised an index finger to his mouth and she followed his gaze towards the clearing behind her. He then pointed and indicated for her to follow him a few steps so they were out of ear shot.

"How long has she been here?" he asked in a quiet tone of voice.

Sakura leant down slightly to stroke behind Akamaru's ear. He moaned a little into her hand and sat there patiently. Although used to the rain, he still was not overly keen on being so wet. "I don't know, I was just taking a walk and stumbled across her" she said honestly. As she looked up at Kiba he appeared to be thoughtful and still gazed in the direction they had come.

"You know, she has been here almost every night since the war" he said without looking at her.

"Neji?" Sakura asked, he nodded.

"She may have put on a brave face for Naruto's sake and to get through the war, but she is paying for it now" he stated bitterly.

"She doesn't blame herself does she?" Sakura asked, having a little knowledge as to how that felt.

Kiba shrugged with his arms crossed, "I don't know. She won't talk about it"

Sakura could tell just by looking at him that he was not happy with that fact. He clearly worried over his team mate or else he wouldn't be checking on her wellbeing every night. _It must bother him a lot that she won't open up to him,_ Sakura realised. She suddenly felt like she needed to console him somehow. Although she wasn't necessarily in a good place to give advice she tried her best. "Sometimes things take time to figure out…" she said softly.

Kiba looked at her for a moment and said nothing as she studied Akamaru, subconsciously stroking him again. Looking up at the animal like man once more she caught his gaze and continued, "The most important thing for her right now is to know you are there if she needs you."

"What if it isn't me she needs?" he replied. Sakura was taken aback by his words. His face suddenly seemed saddened. She honestly did not know how to reply to him. It took a moment for her to compose herself and try to figure this out slowly. She had meant that Hinata needed her friends to support her, but it didn't come out that way. Or rather, he was interpreting it with a deeper meaning. Something started to creep into the back of her mind, like a seed gaining some light and beginning to slowly grow.

"Kiba…do you like Hinata?" she blurted it out without thinking.

At any other time or place or with any other person Kiba would have jumped at such a statement, denying it point blank and hiding from the reality. Yet if it were to be anyone to stumble across them, he was glad for it to be their pink haired friend. After all, out of most of their friends and companions she knew all too well what it felt like to have an unrequited love.

As silence surrounded the pair Sakura figured out that her question had been answered without her having to delve more into it. She nodded in understanding and looked towards the town. The sound of rain tapping on the leaves of the trees and dripping into puddles echoed in their ears. Sakura suddenly felt a little cold and began to shiver.

"You know Kiba…a person's feelings can change" she stated honestly.

Kiba looked at the pale figure beside him as she stared out into the distance and hugged herself. Her thoughtful expression made him raise an eyebrow out of curiosity. "You talking from experience?" he asked her wistfully. Sakura jolted out of her daze and looked at him for a moment. She may have thought she was safe in the dark, but the change of colour on her cheeks could not be hidden from his keen eyesight.

"Well, look at Naruto" Sakura started to stumble on her words, using her team mate as an example was probably not wise, but it was the only ammunition she had. "With perseverance and determination he got the whole village looking at him differently"

"In more ways than one" Kiba noted, a small hint of a smile appearing on his canine features. Sakura clearly was not sure what he meant by this and chose to ignore him. Her reaction though was all he needed. She didn't have to say anything for him to know that somehow Naruto had also changed her feelings too, although to what extent he could not fathom.

"You know, as far as I am aware he still hasn't spoken to Hinata since she confessed" he stated, watching the pink haired woman's reaction carefully.

Sakura was not completely shocked by the news. She had been informed by Ino that this was the case. Everyone knew that the Hyuga girl had a thing for the blond idiot, everyone except the idiot himself. She sighed and found herself wondering why he hadn't yet said anything to her. _Perhaps he is waiting for the right moment?_ She wondered, shaking her head as she realised that something like this never had a right moment. _Or maybe his feelings for her have changed? _She thought, a stabbing pain threatening to consume her. She chose not to think on this further and forced herself to let things be as they were.

There was silence for several moments as Kiba studied the subtle reactions in Sakura's facial expression. He decided to break the silence and take a chance, "Hey, Sakura…back when you confessed to Naruto, how much of it was true?" he blurted out, possibly a little too comfortable with asking her such a personal thing, but desperately hopeful too. Her answer was important for him. If she could move on in time then there was still hope for his situation.

Sakura went to open her mouth and stopped again, her stunned gaze looked away from him and past them, in the direction they came. Kiba sniffed the air and groaned. Due to the rainfall his nose wasn't as good as it could be and he almost wanted to scold Akamaru for not warning him.

"Kiba-kun, Sakura-san?" the soft and gentle voice of Hinata caused them both to appear sheepish. They had been so involved in their own discussion they had neglected the fact she was not far behind them.

"Oh hello Hinata" Sakura said sweetly, giving off one of her fake actress like smiles. Kiba envied her ability to change her attitude on whim.

"Hey" he added, his heart beating hard in his chest to the point he thought it would break his ribs. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not long" Hinata spoke up, shuffling her feet and looking down at her hands. She suddenly wondered if she had stumbled upon a scene she shouldn't have and started to read more into the situation than she should, "I'm sorry, have I disturbed something?" she asked softly.

Her question made the hair on Kiba's body stand up on end as he went into auto drive and all instinctual senses screamed at him to deny whatever thought she had in her head. "No! Not at all! We were just scouting!" he practically shouted, rubbing his head with the back of his hand and laughing manically. Despite the fact he was telling the truth his behaviour could lead to scepticism.

Sakura looked at Kiba and was suddenly reminded of Naruto a little. The only main difference was that Naruto wore his heart on his sleeve whereas Kiba kept it tucked away deep inside. Deciding to help him out she pitched in, "Lady Tsunade asked us to scout the area" she lied, "We were just taking shelter from the rain", well this part was true, although a fat load of good it did for her considering how soaked she was.

"I see." They breathed a sigh of relief as Hinata fell for it.

Awkward silence filled the air and Akamaru whined uncomfortably.

"So, um, Hinata" Sakura spoke up, trying to make things feel a little more at ease, "were you visiting Neji's grave?" she figured it best not to skip around something like this and show that it is perfectly normal to grieve the deceased.

Hinata blushed a little at being caught, "Yes" she confessed, saying no more on the matter.

Kiba remained silent, suddenly unable to find the words he needed at that point in time. He was grateful for having the medical ninja with him.

"If you don't mind, perhaps one day I could come with you?" Sakura asked, pushing her luck a little and trying to role model to Kiba how a direct approach could sometimes be beneficial. Whilst at the same time wanting to pay her own respects.

Hinata looked at her and nodded, a small smile suddenly blooming on her face. "I would like that very much" she replied.

Kiba was taken aback by the response she just gave them. It had never occurred to him until now that perhaps what Hinata really wanted deep down was someone to share her burden with. He kicked himself for watching from a distance and never trying to get closer to her. He had figured she wanted to be alone to grieve. He hated to think that his distance was interpreted as him not caring. He had the utmost respect for Neji, even if he stirred him the wrong way at times.

"C…can I come too?" he asked, looking down at his feet.

Hinata was surprised by her team mate's request. She had been aware of his presence most nights and took comfort in him being near by and watching over her, but at times she wished he would just join her and stop trying to hide. She had thought he wanted to be alone as well and she knew that he had always found it difficult to express himself. She assumed that he did not want to hinder her, so she never said anything. It made her feel happy though that he was now showing his tenderness and she appreciated how difficult it was for him to do that. "Hai" she said with a nod.

Sakura watched with a hidden smile as the expression of their wolf like friend lit up, with Akamaru barking to announce his desire to be a part of it too. He approached Hinata and nuzzled his head into her hands for her attention, which she gave gladly.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I need to get changed" Sakura announced with a yawn and stretch of her arms.

"I should head home too, my father will be worried" Hinata spoke up.

"I will walk you both back home then" Kiba announced in a gentleman like way.

"I live in the opposite direction to you guys so don't worry" Sakura said this purposely to avoid feeling like the third person. She gave them both a smile as she channelled chakra into her feet and jumped up into the trees. Her actions were so fast she did not allow them time to respond. _Who knows what time may bring Kiba…just don't give up on her, _she thought as she made her way back into the village.

She hoped that a certain someone had not given up on her either. The whole encounter with her friends got her thinking about her own feelings and recent thoughts. Had she given up? Or was it something more than that?

…..

"Achoo!" Naruto sneezed. His body shivered and he felt like someone was walking over his grave.

"Bless you" the owner of his favourite fast food restaurant announced.

"Urgh" Naruto complained. Sniffling away and using a napkin to blow his nose.

"Well you shouldn't complain…it is your own fault for being out of hospital" the older man announced. He passed a bowl of hot Ramen over to the young lad, "here, get this down you" he announced.

Naruto's face lit up and he smelled the aroma of his favourite dish and filled his nostrils with it's scent. Grabbing his chop sticks he announced, "Itakimasu!"

The feeling of an ominous shadow began to loom over him as he lowered his hands to start his meal. Pausing whilst trying to take in a mouthful of noodles, Naruto felt like he had to protect his life.

He looked up and saw the older man smiling awkwardly and stepping back slightly. He had sweat pouring from his brow and lifted up a dish cloth as if to say he was surrendering.

"What do you think you are doing?" a familiar female tone asked from the shadows.

Naruto's back suddenly prickled and he lowered his chopsticks, slowly turning to look at the figure behind him. "Sa..kura…chan" he tried to say her voice as sweetly as possible but his efforts were in vain. Sakura stood with a red hot aura surrounding her, with arms crossed and a foot tapping the floor. He was in trouble. The next thing he knew was there were a thousand little Sakura's circling his head with horns on her head and stars in his eyes. Naruto sat on the ground nursing a couple of lumps on his head.

"Honestly, do you really think they won't notice you have left a shadow clone in your place?" the pink haired konoichi chided as she took a seat next to his. Naruto looked up at her and frowned as he noticed her cloak was soaking wet and covered in dirt.

"Sakura-chan, where have you been?" he asked her innocently. She scoffed and ignored his question.

"Don't try to get out of this by turning it on me" she scolded. Slowly removing her cloak and placing it on the stool beside her. She adjusted her position and tried to use a piece of metal to check out her appearance and smooth her hair out.

Naruto slowly stood up and scanned her carefully. Something didn't sit right with him but he couldn't help but feel his words catch in his throat. He remembered what Ino had told him earlier that evening and his response to her. He had to let Sakura figure things out on her own and prying was not going to help.

"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to buy me something to keep me warm?" his team mate asked in her irritated tone of voice. Naruto was suddenly happy for her company but also worried about his finances. He had purchased his meal with a coupon and had left his wallet in the hospital!

The old man raised an eyebrow and noticed the worried expression on his favourite customer as he tapped his pockets and desperately tried to find his wallet. "Relax, this one is on me" he stated, trying to save the day. Naruto couldn't have looked more relieved if he tried. _The kid never changes, _the man smiled to him self. He couldn't help but feel relieved at that fact.

"Thank you" Sakura remarked as she gratefully took the bowl offered to her. Her recent stroll had made her surprisingly hungry and something warm to eat would hopefully help her out.

Studying the bowl in front of her she started to make her way through it, admiring the speed in which Naruto got through multiple bowls as she reached half way through hers. Stumbling upon some white pieces of food that were star shaped in appearance and had pink swirls on them, an idea dawned on her. She knew these were Naruto's favourite ingredients in Ramen.

"Hey Naruto"

The blond lifted his head to look at her, swallowing a mouthful of soup in the process. "Yea.." he opened his mouth to speak but a set of chopsticks made their way in it. As Sakura removed her hand he closed his mouth. It was the first time in history that Naruto Uzumaki took so long to eat his food.

"Last time we were disturbed" Sakura announced, without blushing. The owner of the stand suddenly made an excuse to go out back for something and give the two young shinobi some space.

Naruto's cheeks went crimson red and he slowly became a little excited by her act. It was unexpected and yet his heart wouldn't stop throbbing. "Sakura-chan" he said her name softly and sincerely.

Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed and shy, Sakura tried to make the situation normal again, "Besides, I don't like these" she announced, she wasn't about to say she wanted to monitor her weight!

"Really?!" he perked up, "Does that mean I can have the rest?" he asked, noticing the small pile she had collected at the bottom of her bowl. Sakura nodded and smiled at the familiar and predictable response. She pushed the bowl towards him and he went to take it from her but stopped suddenly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

Naruto could feel his face heating up and looked down at the bowl, purposely trying to avoid her gaze. He swallowed a lump in his throat and fought away any warning that told him to keep his mouth shut. "Um, Sakura-chan…" he said sheepishly, "would you feed me?" He closed his eyes, expecting some kind of repercussion but it did not come.

There was silence and he suddenly heard the scraping of metal as the stool next to him was moved closer. He opened his eyes and became acutely aware of how close Sakura was now sitting next to him. Glancing over at her as she took the bowl from his hands he noticed she had a pink complexion and did not look at him. "Fine but only this once!" she stated.

Shocked that she had agreed to something like this it took him a while to register the food she had hovering in front of his face, "well are you going to eat it or what?" she asked, growing embarrassed by the minute and wanting to change her mind there and then.

Naruto sat and gladly took each little mouthful she had to offer him. Neither of them spoke as they both quietly enjoyed each others company.

…..

"Aren't you going to get him?" Shikamaru asked, followed by a yawn. He really did not appreciate being woken up by an irritated Ino when she realised her patient was missing.

Ino watched the two of her friends from a distance. She couldn't hear what they were saying or see what they were doing, except for the fact that Sakura's chair seemed to get a little closer to his. _Hmph, I see you still have some moves, _she realised, admiring her friend a little. "No. I think Sakura has punished him enough for now. I will scold him in the morning" she announced, turning around and moving away.

"So you woke me up for nothing?" the brown haired intellect asked.

"Stop moaning" she scolded him, " I needed your help. That's what friends are for right?"

She didn't expect an answer but she got one anyway, "Seriously Ino, you don't have to have my IQ to figure out where that idiot had gone" her smart team mate sighed, "besides there is always Choji or one of the others, why me?"

"Choji would have wanted to join Naruto to eat!" Ino pointed out, "Besides, why not you?" she turned the question back on him and it immediately shut him up. She sauntered past and continued in her controlling tone, "You can go back to bed after you walk me home"

"Yes ma'am" he replied unenthusiastically. _I still don't get women, _he thought. He hated being bossed around and dragged into others affairs, it was a drag, yet here he was again doing as she demanded…He often wondered why he didn't fight back or refuse more, then played out several possible scenarios in his head as to how it would go. Each answer showed him that the best solution was going with it. Well, that was his excuse anyway.

…..

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I couldn't remember the name of the food item in Naruto's ramen! Hopefully you know what I mean! **

**I also couldn't remember the suffixes Hinata uses with other people…so apologies if that is wrong. **

**I loved the scene in the manga when Sakura was offering to feed Naruto and was gutted they were interrupted, so I hope you enjoyed that little snippet. **

**I will end this chapter here for now as I am tired! Please keep reviewing and let me know your thoughts. **

**Until next time, take care. **

7


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Author's Note: Having been ill this week it got me wondering, what would Naruto do if Sakura was sick?**

**Thank you to those of you who have been reading, following and taken the time to post! Please keep reviewing as it gives me motivation and helps me correct any errors. **

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 5**

Their dinner at Ichiraku's was over in reasonable time as the man closed for the night, leaving the two young shinobi to head in the direction from whence they came. They walked in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Naruto walked with his hands behind his head, stretching a little and grinning from ear to ear. The fact that Sakura had just fed him a whole bowl of ramen made his heart flutter and head feel light. She had instigated the whole thing herself and he couldn't have been happier. Not wanting to spoil the mood he had chosen to follow her lead and remained quiet. But he wasn't one for silence, studying her thoughtful face as they walked beside one another he couldn't help wonder what it was she was thinking about.

_Does she regret doing that? _He thought, doubts beginning to come to his mind. He wasn't sure if her silence was a good thing or not. So when she suddenly sneezed and made him jump he was actually relieved a little for the break from the silence that was beginning to become uncomfortable.

"Achoo!"

He studied her as she covered her mouth with a hand and proceeded to sneeze a couple more times.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She sniffed and nodded in response. He handed her a napkin he had spare from their meal. She accepted it graciously and blew her nose in an elegant fashion.

As Sakura lifted her head to look back at the concerned blue eyes she said, "Don't worry Naruto I am fine" and forced a smile on her face. She continued to walk a few steps in front of him and coughed to clear her throat a little. Placing a hand on her throat she realised it was beginning to hurt and she tried to sooth it by massaging her own neck.

Naruto walked cautiously behind Sakura and when he saw her lift her hand to her throat with a slightly pained expression, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Reaching out with his right hand he grabbed her left arm by the wrist and spun her around. The action practically made Sakura dizzy. The hand that had been soothing her throat immediately landed on his chest as she tried to maintain her balance.

Sakura did not have time to react or respond to her blond comrade as he placed his hand on her forehead and instantly retracted it. She looked at him with a slightly guilty expression on her face. His gaze changed from a look of concern to one that was a bit irritated. Being within such close proximity of him she suddenly felt like he was reading her mind and she lowered her eyes in response.

"Sakura-chan, you have a fever, you are sick" he pointed out the obvious. She knew that much already. It was only to be expected from being out in the rain most of the evening. Luckily the rain had stopped over an hour ago but she still carried her wet cloak.

"I said I am fine, it isn't anything I can't handle" she responded, trying to reassure him again. She hated to be fussed over.

Naruto was not reassured by her answer and placed a hand under her chin, raising her head so he could look at her properly. "Sakura-chan, please don't lie to me"

Sakura swallowed a hard lump in her throat and winced at the pain and at his words. Why could he read her so well? It was infuriating.

"You have been working too hard and need to take better care of yourself" he scolded her.

The fact she was being told off by this idiot made her embarrassed and a little annoyed. Her eyebrows furrowed and she took hold of his hand that held her chin and lowered it. "Says the person who snuck out of the hospital" she said a little too harshly.

It was Naruto's turn to wince, she had a point but he was too worried about her well being to let her try to turn the tables on this. "My body can heal faster than most people's" he replied, shrugging. He was shocked to see her scoff and step away from him.

She studied him thoughtfully for a moment and her expression indicated something was bothering her, "At what cost?" she asked. His stunned expression and saddened eyes answered her question and confirmed her fears.

"How long have you known?" his voice was a little more serious.

"Did you think I would never notice?" she answered him with another question, this time a little more anger in her tone. She didn't expect him to answer it directly. He looked at her and tried to open his mouth to say something but the words wouldn't come out. "You scold me for working too hard and worry about me having a stupid cold, but every time you use the nine tails chakra your life span is being cut down!"

Naruto frowned, it wasn't every time he used the chakra, but he knew that information wouldn't placate her at this point in time. He was being careful but as now he had a piece of all of the tailed beasts within him her concern was probably higher than it usually would be.

"You can't even survive without the Kyuubi inside of you" she continued, "and you act as if everything is okay and are so reckless!" she snapped, tears now falling down her face. Sakura knew she had gone too far and she had no idea what had come over her. She was feeling rough and vulnerable and down right fed up. The last thing that came out of her mouth was raspy breathes and a whisper "and I…I can't do anything to help you." She hated feeling so helpless.

Naruto watched as tears flooded down her face and she lifted her hands to cover her pained expression. He hated the fact that her tears were because of him. He never wanted to see her like this and always aimed to ensure that no matter what happened in the future he would make her smile. Raising a hand slowly he hesitated before placing it on her shoulder. When she didn't flinch or move away he held in his breathe and dared to step closer to her. Sakura threw herself into his chest and buried her face into his top, grabbing the material in a vice like grip. He slowly and gently placed his arms around her and held her there for a moment, taking in the flowered scent her hair gave off. He realised by holding her that although her head was hot to touch, her arms were cold. The realisation caused him to tighten his hold.

"Sakura-chan you already do so much for me" he spoke to her, looking up at the starry sky above them.

"The things I do are so small" she muttered as she started to calm herself down and take slower breathes. Her grip on Naruto's jacket loosened a little and she soon realised that he was resting his head next to hers. She could no longer tell if she was feeling warm from her cold or from the feelings that suddenly shot through her system.

Naruto placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back a little, his facial expression was serious, "Sakura-chan, what you do is not small. Your heart is so big but you over think everything. The fact you worry about me makes me happy and for me that is enough"

Sakura's eyes widened as his words brought back the memory of what Yamato said to her back then. It wasn't what she did but how she felt that mattered. Naruto's smile made her flush and she suddenly couldn't stop the next bought of tears that flew from her. How can he look at her in that way?

Naruto suddenly didn't know how to react to her new tears and erratic behaviour. "Um…Sakura-chan, did I say something wrong?" He bent over and tried to look into her eyes, but she avoided his gaze and turned away from him, wiping her face with her hands.

Gaining some composure she said, "Is it? Is it really enough?" her sudden question even took her off guard. Naruto seemed stunned and was clearly struggling to find his voice.

Sakura suddenly felt bad about what she was asking Naruto to admit. She had no right to say such a thing and yet his failure to communicate began to upset her. She knew how he felt but suddenly she realised she wanted to hear it from him, not from Sai or any of the others, but from him. But at such a realisation she felt angry with herself. How could she expect him to open up to her when she couldn't give him the same courtesy?

"Forget it Naruto. I'm sorry I am not thinking straight." She blurted this out and closed her eyes, regretting having opened her mouth in the first place.

Naruto was a little put out by what she said and frustrated with himself. Why the hell couldn't he tell her what he was thinking…off course it wasn't enough, but he had learnt a long time ago to make do with what he had. Every little moment and opportunity he got with her was like a dream come true. He cherished it all, but every time it would result in the same feeling when he was not with her, Loneliness. Gritting his teeth he decided that saying nothing wasn't good enough so forced himself to reply to her, "Sakura-chan" her name on his tongue seemed heavier, "There is something I want to talk to you about, but now isn't the right time"

Sakura spun around to look at him, clearly surprised he was answering her question. It suddenly felt awkward between them and the silence became unbearable.

"Naruto," he glanced up as she said his name, her expression was sad but she looked him in the eye, "promise me that you won't use the Kyubi's power to heal yourself all the time, at least when it is something I can fix."

He was surprised by her statement, but he was also relieved by it. He couldn't help but smile and laugh nervously in response to her. "Sakura-chan, I promise that if it means you are the one that heals me, I won't waste chakra" his comment made her heart flutter but she was glad to see him back to normal. She turned to continue her route back home but stumbled in the process.

Naruto saw Sakura going dizzy and caught her just before she landed on the ground. He placed a hand on her head and retracted it quickly. "You're a furnace Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed and he began to worry about her well being.

"Urgh I feel fine" she protested.

But Naruto would not listen; he picked her up in his arms and carried her bridal style. She did not have the energy to fight him and instead felt her body melt into his chest.

"I can walk" she muttered, her stubborn streak still coming through.

He looked at her and frowned. "Sakura-chan" he said her name softly and she looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"Promise me that you will take better care of yourself and get more rest." She was surprised by his words, but couldn't say no to the serious look he had on his face. All she could do in response was nod.

….

"Morning Naruto"

The number 1 unpredictable ninja was stood stretching outside of the entrance to the hospital; he turned to look at the person that greeted him. Choji and Shikimaru were walking in his direction, "We were coming to see you" the former said with a smile and a bag of munchies in his hands.

"Ino gave me permission to leave" the blond replied with a sigh of relief.

Shikimaru's eyebrows rose in response to the idiots explanation, "Didn't she scold you?" he asked, remembering the fact she had caught Naruto the night before for being out of the hospital.

Naruto looked at him and shook his head, "Well, she did scold me a little but it is nothing compared to Sakura's temper".

"I wouldn't let either of them hear you say that if I were you" Shikimaru replied. He couldn't imagine which of the girls would be worse to listen to. Both of them had foul tempers, yet as his father said, women can have a softer side too. Although he couldn't help wonder when he would see that.

"Why did she yell at you?" the larger guy asked, trying to make conversation.

"I snuck out last night for Ramen" Naruto said with a grin of achievement.

"Huh, why didn't you tell me? I love Ramen!" the larger man spoke up.

"He was with Sakura" Shikimaru announced as he walked past the two of them with his hands in his pockets.

Choji stepped back and a smile appeared on his face, "I see, it was like that was it, well done Naruto" he said with a wink, slapping his friend on the back.

Naruto however, suddenly started to protest, "Hey it wasn't like that!" he knew that if Sakura heard such a rumour there would be trouble and it would land on him. Choji continued on and caught up with his friend, forcing Naruto to run after them.

The three ended up stopping at a café for something to eat and drink. Sitting on one of the benches outside they made their order and waited to be served.

"Mind if we join you?" Tenten asked, she was accompanied by Lee.

"We were just passing by from the Hokage's office" Lee explained. They had returned from a mission not long before hand. Although they should be going to bed and make up for lost sleep, upon seeing a few friends they couldn't pass the opportunity for some breakfast and a friendly catch up.

"No problem" Choji announced. The three of them shuffled along to give space for their two friends.

"So Naruto, what did you do with Sakura last night?" Choji asked. His question immediately caught Lee's attention and he started to protest.

"You were with Sakura alone?!"

Naruto gritted his teeth and raised his hands defensively, "it's not like that! I snuck out of the hospital to get some ramen and she found me out" his argument seemed to placate Lee and Tenten but Shikimaru chose to wind him up a little further.

"Seemed pretty close to me" their brown haired friend said with a cunning smile. Naruto threw an evil glare his way. "From where I was standing, it looked like she was feeding you"

"WHA..!?" Lee looked like his eyes would come out of their sockets and he would die from a stroke. Once over his initial shock in the matter he spun on Naruto and challenged him, "you may have gotten one up on me because you are in the same team but I haven't given up yet!"

Tenten sighed, despite her personal feelings on the matter she had to give her team mate some credit, he had perseverance.

"Sakura may have confessed to you but that only gives me more motivation!" Lee announced, his will of fire burning through. "For her feelings to have changed from Sasuke to you just encourages me more, for I too should be able to sway her heart in time!" Lee's speech had left the other three on the table looking at them both with surprised glances.

"Hold on a second, Sakura confessed?!" Tenten asked, leaning forward on the table. She grabbed Naruto's top and demanded he spill the beans.

Naruto raised his hands in defence and sweat poured down his face. He didn't know how to respond. The truth of the matter was that she did confess. But there was more to it than that. Her words back then rang in his ears and tore at his heart;

"_What…did…you say just now…Sakura-chan?! I…dunno if…I heard you wrong. Can you say it again?" he asked, stunned and acutely aware of the shocked faces around him. This was far too good to be true. _

"_What I said, Naruto…is that I love you!" she replied. He noticed she was blushing and her cheeks matched the colour of her hair. He couldn't figure out if that was because of the snow or her feelings. She continued to try to explain and justify what she was saying, "I'm saying there's nothing between Sasuke and me anymore! I don't know what I was thinking, liking a person like that. I'm confessing my feelings here, so listen to me!" it was evident she was embarrassed and needed his full attention. _

_Yet when Sakura averted her gaze and did not look at him when confessing he couldn't help but wonder why something was not ringing true in all of this. "But how…why?" he couldn't understand why her feelings could change like that, "If you tell a joke like that in a situation like this, it ain't funny Sakura-chan" he replied, his heart ached. What the hell was going on, this was too cruel, even for her. "Just what happened?" _

_The moment she replied he knew she was trying to avoid the question, "nothing, really. I just suddenly realised there's no sense in continuing to like someone who's a fugitive and a criminal. I can't stay a kid forever…I want to face reality" Her reply was a logical one, but that was the problem with it, it was thought out and logical but not heartfelt. She was trying to find ways to force herself to dislike Sasuke and Naruto couldn't figure out why. _

"_So Naruto…there's no need to keep that promise…won't you stop chasing Sasuke?" Bingo, he realised then what she was trying to do. Sakura closed her eyes and gave one of her fake smiles when she said that line. She knew he wouldn't give up on his friend and so she was doing this to try to encourage him to. _

"_Did something happen Sakura-chan? Why me of all people, all of a sudden…" he asked, now full of doubt. _

_Sakura started to get defensive and he knew she was trying to weasel her way out of this uncomfortable position. For her to be here with the other three, he knew something was up and he did not like or respect the fact that they were purposely keeping it from him. _

"_Nothing happened! If you want to know why I started liking you, I'll say it clearly" _

_Naruto couldn't help but get angry with this, all of his memories of Sakura and her feelings for Sasuke came flowing through his mind. The way she cried when he thought he had died, the way she begged Naruto to bring him back to her, her determination to help rescue him and the expression on her face when they encountered him again years later. Those feelings can't disappear over night. It was just insane. Yet his thoughts were disrupted when she embraced him for the second time in their lives, although this time he could feel her shaking. _

"_Sasuke-kun just keeps getting further from me…but Naruto…you've always stayed by my side. You've encouraged me. I finally realised who you really are Naruto. The hero who protected the village…beloved by everyone in the village…I'm just one of them. That mischievous little dummy I knew…little by little is becoming this great and important man…and I've been watching from right next to him." Her tone was honest and sweet, but for some reason he couldn't accept it, "but all Sasuke's done is commit crimes and break my heart…more and more, he's becoming a different person than he was, so distant. But Naruto…you're right here where I can touch you like this…you make me feel safe…right now, from the bottom of my heart, I - …"he stopped her before she said something he would hate her for. _

_How long he had waited for words like this to come from her, but these circumstances, this situation, it just wasn't right. Grabbing her and pushing her away from him he said, "Gimme a break Sakura-chan…I told you that joke's not funny…" _

_Sakura looked at him worried, he realised she knew he had seen through her act and whatever it was she was trying to disguise, "Have you flipped? I just switched from Sasuke to you…they say a woman's heart is as changeable as the autumn sky, don't they?" Naruto couldn't take any more, his grip on her shoulders tightened. _

"_I hate people who lie to themselves!" he knew what he said sounded harsh, but it was the truth and she had to hear it. He could always try to see the good in everyone and had never before seen a trait in Sakura that he disliked, but watching her now made his stomach turn. This wasn't right, this wasn't her and he didn't like it. Yet the moment his words left his mouth Sakura's façade fell and she immediately got angry. _

"_Are you saying I'm lying to myself?" she asked, her question caught him off guard a little as she knocked his hands away from her. "I'm the only one who knows what I'm thinking! If you don't like me, then just say so! If you're gonna make up excuses…" _

"_It's just weird! You came all this way just to tell me something like that!?" he defended himself. He hated fighting with her. _

"…_something like that…!?" she took a step back and appeared to be surprised by his statement. That's when she got really mad, leaning towards him in a threatening way she shouted, "Something like that!? You think it's easy for a girl to confess her feelings?! All this way!?" she was repeating his words vehemently and he found himself surprised and although disheartened by it all, a small amount of hope filled him at her reaction. This was genuine and passionate, it was reassuring. _

"_Off course I'd come all this way! You've always been chasing after Sasuke and putting yourself in danger! Akatsuki is after you because you're the Kyubi's host! You should be worried for your own safety. I…I don't want you to go after Sasuke if it means putting yourself in danger like that! I've come here because I want you to come back to the village with me! That's all!" _

"_That just sounds like an excuse to me. I think I know you better than that." He replied. He could read her like a book. _

"_You don't know anything! I don't care about Sasuke at all anymore now that he's a criminal! So forget about your promise to me!" she closed her eyes again when saying that. He knew she was trying to convince herself but it wouldn't work on him._

"_This isn't about that promise" he replied honestly, after all he knew something that she didn't and if she knew she might change her opinion and go back to feeling for Sasuke. _

Naruto recalled the way Sakura departed from them and his discussion with Sai's clone. Sakura cared for Naruto and his feelings so much that she lied to him, but at the same time she was so willing to kill Sasuke herself. Sai explained that it was because she loved Sasuke that she was willing to stop him from falling further into darkness. This was not what Naruto wanted to hear, but it made sense to him. It was what Sai said next though that bothered him the most;

"_She's willing to let you hate her forever, Naruto. I think it's her way of atoning for saddling you with the burden of the promise so many years ago. She's asked too much of you so she's trying to end all this herself." _

"Hey Naruto, you okay?" Choji waved a hand in front of him and broke his thoughts. Why did he suddenly feel so depressed?

Tenten, having noticed his expression let go of him and sat back down. "I thought you would be happier" she stated.

"It wasn't like you think" Naruto muttered, "Sakura was lying to me to make me give up my promise to bring Sasuke back for her, but my desire to bring Sasuke back had nothing to do with the promise." He explained, looking up from his drink to the four people sitting around him.

Lee studied his friend closely before adding, "It was our fault for expecting her to be able to tell you the truth about our decision to take Sasuke down."

"I heard from Kiba that she tried to kill Sasuke on her own?" Choji spoke up.

Naruto and Lee nodded in unison, "Luckily Naruto was able to stop her in time" Lee continued to explain in more detail what had happened.

"Wow, I can't believe she would go so far" Tenten commented when he had finished.

"I figured she wouldn't be able to come out and tell you the truth..." Shikimaru sighed, he, like Sai, blamed himself for pushing Sakura to that point. Luckily Kakashi and Naruto were there to save her before something happened otherwise they would all be feeling remorse.

"You know I am pretty surprised. Out of everything Sakura could have said, to say she loved you…why would she lie about something like that?" Choji spoke up.

"She was trying to protect us both" Naruto replied.

"That may be true but Choji has a point" Tenten caught their attention. "Sakura hasn't been herself lately. It wouldn't surprise me if she has been re-thinking her feelings since then"

Naruto looked at the girl in front of him with a curious expression.

"What are you saying?" Lee asked.

"Well look at this logically, what Sakura said to Naruto about how Sasuke turned to crime and stuff, it was all true. Even what she said about Naruto himself is also true…then not long after she said all that, Sasuke tried to seriously kill her. That must have had an impact on how she felt. To me it sounds like there was an element of truth in what she said…" Tenten explained.

"Sasuke wasn't in his right mind back then" Naruto defended his friend and rival. Although he knew she had a point. During the war, despite Sasuke's dream of becoming Hokage, he had not been much of a team player and on more than one occasion knocked Sakura down despite her best efforts to help them.

"Well that may be true, all I can say is if I were in her shoes, I don't think my feelings would be the same anymore" Tenten summarised. Her words started making Naruto's head spin.

"So do you think I have a chance?" Lee asked his friend eagerly.

"No" Tenten replied, knocking him down flat and brutally with one single word. Lee collapsed in a heap across the table, forming a pool of water beneath him.

"Hey speaking of Sakura" Shikimaru said, nodding his head in the direction of the street next to them. Sakura was walking along with a paper bag in her arms which was clearly full of groceries or ingredients for something.

"Should we call her over?" Choji asked.

"Look who's headed her way" Tenten nodded, causing them to all glance over in the opposite direction to the pink haired girl.

"When did they get back?" Lee asked.

"Judging from their appearances it looks like they just arrived" Shikimaru stated. He wondered if they had changed their name since the war.

"Um where'd Naruto go?" Lee asked, noticing the space of flashing light beside him. They all looked from the empty space up to the group of people in front of them.

"Why do I get the feeling this could get uncomfortable" Tenten muttered as she watched their female friend bump into the group.

"Hey he didn't pay his part of the bill!" Choji complained with delayed reaction.

….

Sakura did her best to take in some fresh air to help clear her sinuses. She could barely breathe through her nose and her eyes felt tight. She felt so shattered and spent another night with no sleep. She knew she looked a mess, her eyes were dark around the rim and her skin was pale. But given the mood she was in she had to care less about that and focus on getting better. In a desperate attempt to get out of the house she decided to go out to buy some supplies and make her own medicine up.

"Sakura"

She froze on the spot. That voice? No way? Not now of all days…not when she looked like crap. She felt the ground opening up and wished she would be swallowed inside of it.

"Hey are you going to say hello or just stand in our way?" the feisty red head snapped. Continuously jealous over any girl that Sasuke dared speak to.

Sakura looked up at the group that stood in front of her and caught the cold gaze of the dark eyes that studied her from head to toe. She had never felt so trapped and desperate to escape. It took all of her effort on a normal day to face him, let alone when she felt like this. Embarrassment filled her being and she felt her body getting hotter and begin to shake.

"Wow, you don't look so good" Suigetsu took a step closer to her and placed a hand on her head, forcing her to immediately step back and brush his hand away from her.

"I am fine!" she snapped instinctively defending herself. She tried to overcome the groggy feeling that came to her head. Forcing herself to stand and fight, she coughed slightly and eventually found her voice. "So are you guys just back from your mission?" she asked, wavering. _Just grim and bear it, _she told herself. _Be civil. _

"We are on our way to see the Hokage and report back" Sasuke replied.

Sakura nodded in understanding at the hint in his tone and stepped to the side and out of their way, "Well I won't hold you back" she stated. Her words had a deeper meaning behind them but if they picked up on it she did not know.

Sasuke walked past and a chill ran through her body as she used all her energy to remain still. The others slowly followed him and she avoided their gaze, ignoring the looks she got. She grasped the bag in her arms tighter and moved around the corner and out of eye sight with incredible speed.

"Talk about intense atmosphere" Suigetsu stated as he looked back at the girl that sped off, turning to stare at the back of their leader. You could have cut the tension between those two with a knife. It was unpleasant to watch.

"I hope she will be alright" Jugo stated, his gentle caring side coming through.

"Sakura can take care of herself," Sasuke spoke up, not looking back and forcing his comrades to focus on the task at hand.

….

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked down at the girl who was crouched on the ground, hugging her bag with dear life and burying her face into it, her back resting against the side of the building next to her.

She did not move or raise her head in response to his presence. He knelt down and said her name again, this time placing a hand on hers. He gritted his teeth, seeing her like this pained him. Just what the hell was going on between those two? Sasuke was such a jerk at times.

Sakura did not look at him and continued to break down. "Naruto" she said his name pleadingly, "please get me out of here." She asked in a desperate tone of voice. He gripped onto her hand tightly and didn't need any more encouragement. Pulling her arm around his neck he lifted her into his arms for the second time in 24 hours and took her to safety.

….

**A/N: Well, I have written and re-written this chapter several times, and feel this is the best I am going to be able to produce at this point in time so I hope you like it. **

**Sakura's confession is something that needs addressing between the pair at some point and I aim to do this soon but want them both to figure things out slowly in their own way. Naruto needs to see the change in Sakura in order to believe that her feelings are different. Changes are subtle though and he can be dense, so sometimes people need to spit it out for him. Hence Tenten's role in this…she does have a head on her shoulders in my opinion and is an underestimated character. **

**In addition Naruto can't tell Sakura what he feels until he has addressed things with Hinata. Plus there is some unfinished business between Sakura and Sasuke. Hopefully I got that across okay. **

10


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own Naruto, merely a fan.**_

_**Author's Note:**__** Thank you for the kind comments and feedback. It means a lot. I have been watching the TV series again and have noticed a few things which I aim to try to cover again in time. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Although I can't help but feel it would have been so awesome if Sakura was able to summon the monkey lord that the 3**__**rd**__** Hokage could summon and use the staff, she would kick butt! **_

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 6**

"Do you think she will be okay?" Tenten asked. The small group of friends had remained behind as Naruto went to help Sakura. They witnessed her reaction to Sasuke and his friends and saw a brief glimpse of orange and black disappear into the alleyway to chase after her.

Lee looked away from the place his friends had been and clenched his fists. _He had to go and be so cool! Looks like I still have a lot of work to do! _he thought to himself.

Shikimaru answered Tenten's question, "Sakura will be fine, Naruto is with her".

"He really cares about her doesn't he" she noted softly. She turned her head in the direction of the sound a chair as it scraped along the ground. Lee stood up and headed out of the door.

"Hey Lee, wait up!" Tenten jumped from her seat and followed her team mate out of the building, pausing briefly she turned to face the two that remained and bowed, "Thank you for the meal" and with that she left.

"Guess we should head out too" Shikimaru announced, pushing his chair out and standing up, he placed some money on the table and exited the building. Choji tagged along, purchasing a snack for on the go.

Shikimaru placed his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky while he waited for Choji. The wind was picking up a little. He looked in the direction Naruto went and then in the direction that the group "Hawk" disappeared in. He felt Choji appear behind him, "You ready?" he asked.

"Yep" Choji replied. "Hey what you looking at?" the larger man tried to follow his friends gaze.

"Nothing" Shikimaru turned and started to walk down the street. He thought back to a discussion he had with his father once about women. Back then he didn't understand women at all but his father told him that even the meanest of women are gentle to the men they love. _I don't know if I will ever truly understand women dad, but I think I am beginning to get there, _he thought to himself.

He had always thought women to be crazy, bossy and quite frankly scary. His basis for this had been in seeing his father being easily scolded by his mother and watching Ino and Sakura fight all the time. Yet those two fighting wasn't really any different from Naruto and Sasuke and Lee and Neji, they were rivals. Over time, as he got to know them and fought beside them he couldn't help but be forced to notice a change in all of his friends. The girls included. Ino, despite her temper, had gradually accepted him being the leader of the group and strove to become stronger, forcing herself to learn new jutsu to prevent her being so vulnerable in a fight. Hinata had also grown a little stronger, being able to stand her ground more than she could before. Then there was Sakura. She had the worst temper out of all the girls he had ever met, yet at the same time could be so kind and gentle. It used to irritate him how she and Ino would fawn over Sasuke, but now, with the way she just avoided him... _Can a woman's heart really change? _He wondered, _hmph, whatever, why should I care? Just, just be careful Naruto. _

"Well look who it is"

The pair stopped in their tracks as they heard a familiar voice beside them.

"Oh it's you" Shikimaru stated upon meeting the gaze of the blonde sand ninja and her team mate, the weird guy with the puppets.

"Hey, is that any way to treat an ally?" Temari asked with a grin, _he hasn't changed much at all, _she thought, a little happy about the notion.

"What brings you guys here? I assume if you are here then Gaara is too" Shikimaru stated.

"It's Lord Kazekage to you!" Kankuro spat, gaining a scoff from the smartest shinobi in history.

Shikimaru and Choji continued to walk past them and the two visitors followed. "Gaara has a meeting with the Hokage, he ordered us to help out in the village while we wait." Temari answered their question.

"Well you found the right person. Shikimaru here is leading us in rebuilding Konoha" Choji hit his friend on the back, forcing him to buckle forward, glaring at the bigger man as he grinned. "Hey why don't I take Kankuro to help out over at the school, we could do with an extra pair of hands.

Shikimaru barely had time to respond as Choiji pulled at the puppet master and dragged him in the direction he was needed. "Hey let me go you oaf!" the sand ninja protested.

Choji turned to look back at the gormless faces of his best friend and the female ninja and sent a wink their way. _Why you! I swear Choji I will kill you myself by the end of the day! _Shikimaru thought to himself.

"He seems livelier than usual" Temari pointed out.

"Hmph, he just had breakfast" Shikimaru stated with a little twitch forming on his brow. "Well, if you are here to help I better take you somewhere where you can be of use" he said reluctantly. _Man, why did he have to leave me alone with her. Ino and Sakura aside, this woman is on a whole different level. _

…..

Using all the alley ways and roof tops he could on route, Naruto Uzumaki tried his best to avoid any location where they would be seen by preying eyes. Sakura was clearly not in the frame of mind to want people to see her and he didn't want to make her feel worse. Yet whilst carrying her he realised that he had no idea where to go, so instinctively went to the only place he knew where they could have privacy, his apartment.

Upon arriving on the balcony he glanced down at the figure in his arms and softly spoke her name; "Um Sakura-chan…we're here".

Sakura did not look up at him but nodded. Although she had stopped crying she continued to keep her face lowered, avoiding his gaze. She said nothing as he gently lowered her feet so they touched the ground. She remained standing, holding onto the paper bag in her arms. He frowned as he looked at her. He had not seen her look so helpless since, well, since he made the promise of a lifetime with her. He glanced away for a moment to unlock the door then turned to invite her in and she brushed past him slowly.

His newly built apartment was in the same location as before but to his pleasant surprise was a little larger than it used to be, but he managed to fill it with the same homely objects. Looking around he realised he didn't really own that much and it seemed a little spacious, but hell, at least it was not as messy as it had been on previous occasions of Sakura visiting him. Yet the mood Sakura was in he doubted she noticed. He watched her back as he closed the door behind him. She approached his small table and placed her bag down on it then remained still for a moment. He could see from the way her back moved that she was trying to take some deep breathes to steady her mind. He dared not say anything to her and waited until she was ready to speak.

"Naruto" her voice croaked a little, "May I used your bathroom?" she asked, suddenly realising where she was.

"Off course Sakura-chan, it's over there" he pointed in the direction it was and she headed that way. Naruto watched her back disappear around the corner and sighed. He glanced over at the photo of Team 7 and their smiling faces back then. Why was it that even though they won the war and succeeded in bringing Sasuke back that everyone seemed so different, including himself.

…

Upon entering the small bathroom Sakura immediately grabbed some tissue and blew her nose as best she could to help her to breathe better. Turning around she approached the sink and looked into the mirror that was displayed above it, _I look a mess, argghh to think that they saw me like this! _She moaned to herself. Running the cold water tap she cupped her hands and filled them with water, splashing the cold liquid over her face and through her hair. The feeling immediately made her feel less clammy and stuffy and a little relieved. She repeated this process a few times until she felt calm enough to focus her mind.

Looking at her dark and tired eyes she suddenly realised that Naruto was likely to want some answers and was waiting for her in the next room. She knew that although it was not like him to pry, he wasn't an idiot either and could often see something was going on. The realisation of this made her sit down for a few minutes to contemplate what she was going to say to him.

She looked around the room and the gradually became more attuned to the fact that she was in his home, well his new home. It seemed different from before but in a good way. She had been here a number of times in the past to wake him up or pick him up for a mission, yet it dawned on her that she had never been in his bathroom before. She was actually surprised that it wasn't as disgusting as she would have thought it would be, for a boys place anyway. Although with it being newly done it probably wouldn't take him very long to mess it up again. A shade of green caught her attention and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of a toothbrush with a frog on it sitting in a glass on the side of the sink. The image of the frog caused her to think about the blond boy she knew from years ago. The memory of him and the way he interacted with the toads he often summoned helped her feel a little more relaxed.

She thought back on all the times he saved her and how his efforts had changed the way she thought about him. She recalled feeling something when she witnessed Naruto stand up against Zabuza. He surprised her and she couldn't help but feel he looked so cool and self determined. Then again, Naruto was like that, one minute he would do something to surprise you and the next he would do something that made you want to punish him. _Hmph, he really is a number one knuckle head, _she thought. _That's right, I have no reason to worry_, after all Naruto was Naruto, no matter what she told him he would not think of her any differently for it. She stood up and walked to the door, placing her hand on the handle she was forced to remember something else;

"_I hate people who lie to themselves"_

She gritted her teeth. It was the first time she had ever felt so guilty in her whole life and yet at the same time she had walked away. She walked away because he was right, but despite what he said she had already made up her mind. The only way to protect him and prevent him from making a huge mistake, was to act on her own. The stupid idiot would do anything for her and for Sasuke, including giving up his life. It was only fair that she do the same. _But my resolve broke, just like it is now. Geez Sakura get a grip. _

…

When Sakura eventually appeared in the main apartment Naruto was sitting on his small sofa with a drink in his hands. He was studying the contents of the cup with intensity. She gave a small cough, jolting him out of his stupor.

He stood up to face her and immediately asked if she was okay, she nodded in response, "I poured you a drink" he continued, reaching out and offering her the cup in his hands.

"Thank you" she said with a feint smile. She took the warm container from him and placed it to her lips. Taking a few sips of its contents she was grateful for the soothing feeling the fluid gave her throat. She noticed that Naruto seemed a little on edge. "Are you okay?" she asked instinctively.

He looked up at her and gave her his trademark grin, raising a hand to rub the back of his head he said, "Yeah I'm fine, just…well…if I am honest I was wondering if you minded me bringing you here?"

Sakura shook her head a little to show she did not mind, "Naruto, I am sorry for being a burden on you. I lost it a little back there"

She suddenly felt a hand land on her shoulder and looked up to meet its owner, "Sakura-chan, you are not a burden" he replied seriously. There it was…the response she wasn't expecting. She was calm moments before but the moment he sympathised with her and looked into her eyes she broke, all reserve lost. Fresh tears threatened to consume her. _Why won't they stop?! _She could feel her inner self getting angry.

Naruto retracted his hand from her shoulder immediately and started to panic a little, "I'm sorry Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed.

Sakura started to shake her head, "No. I'm sorry Naruto, all I ever do is cause you problems" she wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand and tried to force a smile out as she looked at him. His blue eyes felt like they were penetrating into her mind, yet the moment she looked at him she felt a little relieved. "You are probably wondering why I have been such a nervous wreck these past couple of days" she said with a nervous grin.

Naruto stood and watched his female friend as her expression changed. "Sakura-chan…" He said her name as if sighing, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" he tried to reassure her. He suddenly thought that she might start to think he didn't want to hear it and shook his hands quickly, "Don't get me wrong, I want to know, but if you don't feel …." she cut him off.

Sakura shook her head, "It's okay, really, I think…I know I need to talk to someone about this and considering it is partly to do with you it makes sense that you know". She lowered herself and sat down on the sofa beside them. Naruto remained where he stood and watched her study her drink and swirl it around a little before speaking again, "You see, I have been having nightmares lately, and quite often it is the same dream. It's been causing me some trouble with sleeping" she explained.

Naruto crossed his arms and squinted his eyes, "Hmm, I see…" he sat down next to her and nodded as if in understanding, "Was it like a giant sandwich chasing you?" he asked. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, he continued with his imaginative spiel, "I had nightmares once about drowning in a bowl of ramen" he said, shaking slightly at the memory of it, "It put me off ramen for a week! Can you believe that?!"

Sakura was stunned. The old her would have probably hit him for being such a moron, but listening and watching him suddenly made her burst into laughter, he was so refreshing.

"See there we go…I prefer it when you smile"

Sakura immediately stopped laughing and looked up at him a little surprised. He smiled down at her warmly with a huge grin. She sat back a little and looked back down towards the floor as she felt her face heat up, "Idiot" she stated fondly. She became aware of him sitting next to her and shifted her position slightly from where she sat. Her grip on her drink tightened.

Naruto leant forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his thighs, deep in thought. "Sakura-chan, Ino told me that your nightmares have been about me"

She immediately went stiff on hearing his words and screamed in her head, _that pig, I'll make her pay for her big mouth! _

"Answer me honestly" he continued, looking ahead and through the window opposite them, the sun was gradually being hidden by a large dark cloud. He knew he probably shouldn't have told her about Ino but he was trying his best to make this easier for her. He looked at his hands and took in a slow breathe, "Sakura-chan, in your dreams do I die?" He felt her stiffen even more and knew immediately that the answer was 'yes'. Turning to glance back at her he could see she was biting her lower lip and nodding.

"Every time, there is a sea of blood" she explained, visibly shaking as she stared at her hands, "everyone is dead…he killed them all"

"He?" Naruto picked up on what she said, "Do you mean Sasuke?" he asked. He hit the nail on the head. Her face shot up to look at him and he knew he was right.

"How…how did you know?" her voice wavered but her gaze was fixed on his. He sighed and leant back in the chair, turning his body to the side slightly to face her. He couldn't help but wonder if her nightmare was related to her not wanting him and Sasuke to fight. Although admittedly it bothered him a little that in her dreams, out of the two of them, Sasuke was the one that won. He knew he shouldn't think of it that way but he couldn't help it. Yet he figured keeping those thoughts to him self at this point in time was probably for the best.

"Sakura-chan, I saw how you reacted when you bumped into him in the street earlier." She bit her lip again and gave another agitated smile.

"Oh you saw that huh?" she sighed. Naruto wasn't about to tell her that he probably wasn't the only one.

"I don't know what your dream means for you Sakura-chan. But I have had dreams in the past that have shaken me up too. Yet, you have to remember that they are just dreams. No matter how real they may seem." He tried his best to reassure her, but he didn't feel he was very good at this sort of thing. Seeing her blank expression he decided a better explanation was needed and chose to give her an example, "When Sasuke left the village and I failed to bring him back, I had nightmares for a long time where I was constantly trying to chase him and the world around me was falling apart. Each time he got further and further away…" he smiled at her, "I realised that this was my own fear, my fear that I would fail, but you know what since finding him and bringing him back here, I haven't had them"

Sakura tilted her head to one side and studied her blond companion for a moment thinking about what he was saying, "Are you trying to say that if I figure out what my dream is trying to tell me and act on it, that they will go away?" she asked.

Naruto suddenly appeared to look confused, "Umm…something like that, I guess" he said, not really fully understanding it all himself. Yet his answer seemed to placate her as her eyes lit up in understanding.

"The question is though, what is it trying to tell me?" she asked out loud. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little relieved that she slowly appeared to be coming back to her usual self. Her intellectual side was shining through, fixed on a puzzle she needed to solve. He knew it wouldn't take long for her to figure it out.

She stood from her seat and put her drink down, pacing around the room with a finger rested on her lips as she was lost in thought. _Well, think about this properly Sakura, _she told herself. _Blood…well that is probably because of the war right? Ino said it herself, some kind of trauma from that time? No, that's not it. _She shook her head and turned to pace the other direction. _Think, Naruto dies before my eyes… _she glanced over at him sitting in the room as he watched her, forcing herself to remember that he was alive and well, it helped her to think, _obviously I don't want him to die. The thought of losing him, I couldn't bear it, _she realised, catching his dazed expression looking back up at her she blushed and immediately turned away from him and looked out of the window. It had started to rain outside. _Rain, was it raining? _She approached the window slowly and placed a hand on the cold glass, _No, I was crying, I am always crying, waking up soaking wet. It must be my physiological response to fear that makes me feel like the blood is real, _she realised. _Fear, _she thought about what Naruto said, it was his own fear of failure that led him to doubt himself in his dreams. Was it the same for her? Fear that she would be unable to protect them like she vowed to? _"Sakura" _she gritted her teeth, the sound of his voice echoed in her mind.

_Sasuke, _the thought of his name made the flash of his blood stained figure towering over her appear as if it was standing on the other side of the window, _why does it make me feel so cold? _She wondered, crossing her arms and hugging herself, she remembered the words he said to her, about everything being her fault. _What does he mean by that? Am I the reason Naruto dies? Does he die to protect me? Or is it more than that? _She thought about the feeling those words gave to her, guilt. _Guilt? Why do I feel guilt? _Then the realisation hit her, _is it because of my feelings?_

Naruto sat patiently and watched Sakura as she moved around the room and approached the window. Whatever it was she was thinking about mustn't have been good by the way she held herself like that. She slowly turned to gaze at him and her pained expression made him suddenly feel uncomfortable. He didn't know if he wanted to hear her conclusion as to what she had just figured out and hoped she would not reveal it to him. Yet the silence became awkward and he felt like he needed to say something, "Um, Sakura-chan, did you figure it out?" he asked her hesitantly. Her gaze focussed and she seemed to snap out of her thoughts.

"I need to think more on it" she replied honestly.

"I see" he said, a little relieved.

"Thank you Naruto" she was truly grateful to him.

He blushed at her genuine kindness towards him, it was rare that she looked at him like that and it put him off guard. Placing his hands on his head and stretching backwards he closed his eyes and grinned, "No problem" he said.

Sakura walked towards the place where their hero sat and smiled down at him, his childlike grin made her heart feel lighter. She felt like a little weight had been lifted from her shoulders and the feeling made her feel a bit dizzy as exhaustion finally threatened to consume her. She walked over to her friend and sat back down in the space beside him.

Naruto opened his eyes as he felt Sakura sit beside him. As he turned his head to glance her way she suddenly leant into him and rested her head on his chest while his arms were still raised. The spontaneous physical contact made him nervous and he felt his face turn beetroot. "Um Sakura-chan?" he did not dare to move.

Sakura yawned, "It's raining outside and I have a cold…" she said it as if that explained her behaviour, but Naruto still sat there shocked by her actions.

"Um…If you are t-tired Sakura-chan you can take the b-bed" he offered her anxiously.

Sakura positioned herself to sit sideways, turning her head into him a little and placing a hand on his chest. "Right here is just fine" she said, yawning once more, she couldn't force herself to think anymore, _so tired, _she thought_._ She was surprised to find that he made her feel so relaxed. She felt him move a little and his body went rigid, clearly not sure on what to do. _Poor guy, I have completely taken him off his guard, _she realised, smiling a little, _maybe I should help him out, just this once,_ "Um Naruto…" she spoke up fighting the sleep for a little longer, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling her feet up she decided to give him an order, "put your arm around me and don't say another word".

Naruto glanced down at the mass of pink hair that rest on him. He gulped and swallowed a lump in his throat before lowering his arms. Hesitantly he placed the nearest arm to her on her back and his spare arm on the arm that wrapped itself around him. When she did not move he let out a deep breath and tried to force his body to relax a little. Feeling an ache in his back he tried to make himself a little more comfortable and lowered himself into the sofa a bit more, resting his head on the back of the furniture. He felt her move and grip hold of him tighter in response, forcing him to remain still. Tilting his head a little to see her face his heart skipped a beat at how angelic she looked. He couldn't believe his luck. First she fed him Ramen, then she didn't reject him when he embraced her and now this…perhaps Tenten was right…he couldn't help but feel a little hope in his heart. Yet the deeper fear of him being mistaken shrouded over him and he forced himself to not get too carried away. Although the feeling of her warm body against his like this and the movement of her chest as she breathed up and down, drove him crazy. It was like an aphrodisiac and he realised he wanted more. He eventually came to the conclusion that so long as he didn't screw it up he could be in that position with her for quite a while, the thought made his heart race a little.

He watched her sleeping for what seemed like a long time, listening to the rain patter on the windows and watching as the sun gleamed through, forming a rainbow. It was probably nearing mid day by now, so much for his training he had planned on doing, although in hindsight this was probably a much better scenario to be in, even if his heart wasn't ready for it. He felt her shivering under his arm and instinctively held onto her tighter. Forming an idea in his head he slowly raised his hands and placed his fingers together in an all too familiar way, "Shadow clone jutsu" he whispered, forming a single clone that appeared standing in front of them. He didn't have to say a word as his clone understood completely what was needed of it. Walking over to the bed he picked up the blanket and placed it over to the sleeping form in his master's embrace before grinning, giving a thumbs up and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

….

**A/N: I tried my best to keep the romantic side of it as true to what I feel their characters would do and how Naruto would react…hopefully I have done it justice. I hope you like it. Please don't hesitate to review and give me feedback as it is my motivation to continue! **

7


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter. I am sorry it has taken a little longer than planned to get this next one out. I have been very busy and as such ended up with a mind block. Hopefully this chapter will help me get back into some kind of rhythm. **

**And to the guest who asked me not to stop writing - Don't worry I do not plan on leaving a story unfinished. It may take some time now and then but I will not leave you stranded…well unless something dramatic happens! Don't worry about NaruSaku, I have faith in this pair and they will happen. **

**From the heart**

**Chapter 7**

Sai crouched down and partially rolled his scroll as the animals he had drawn on them returned to him. He took a brief look at the lasting image his ink formed on the paper, showing him what they saw. The image confused him slightly and he struggled to figure out what the feeling he suddenly felt was. It seemed a little familiar yet different, like he was happy but worried at the same time.

"Well, what did they see?" a feminine voice asked from behind him. He suddenly felt the close presence of the person that had called upon him and forced him to come out with them.

Ino leant over his shoulder, her blonde hair dangling past his face, tickling his cheek as blue eyes fixed on the image of a sleeping couple that he held in his hands. _She smells of flowers, _he suddenly realised but had no time to think on it as delicate hands reached out and snatched the parchment from his grasp.

Ino examined the image closely and a broad grin appeared on her face, "I knew it!" she shouted out, looking happy with herself.

"Knew what?" Sai asked, standing now and trying to take his belongings back from her.

She glanced at him for a moment and raised an eyebrow. Lifting the image up to his eye level she pointed at it and shook it in his face as if he had never seen it before. He moved backwards a few steps as she gained on him and realised too late that he should not have come out with her.

"Don't you see?!" she practically shouted, "Bill board brow is falling for him" she pointed to the picture of Naruto.

Sai sighed. It still confused him that when Ino spoke of Sakura in a negative manner that somehow it was acceptable but when he called her 'ugly' she nearly killed him. This nick name and honorific business continued to torment him. Yet that was not the only concern he had, "How can you tell?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know what it was Ino saw that he struggled to see himself.

A bead of sweat trickled down one side of her forehead and she lowered the document, slowly handing it back to him with a sigh. Closing her eyes briefly she crossed her arms and paced around in small circles for a moment, clearly preparing how she was going to educate this guy on a woman's heart.

Sai watched her for a few moments before deciding to speak. He looked in the direction of his teammate's location; "I know Sakura cares for Naruto but I can't help but feel it isn't the same way he cares for her" he concluded. Ino followed his gaze in the same direction as her companion and then looked at the pale guy standing next to her.

"Sai, you have been a spy most of your life so I don't expect you to fully understand everything yet. Even though you have worked closely with those two for a while now, you didn't know them from before. I have been Sakura's best friend from when we were kids so I should know when something is up with her and I am telling you she is different." She now pointed a finger at him as if lecturing him.

"But Sakura likes Sasuke?" he asked, confused. After all he could never forget the punch he received for bad mouthing their friend. Sakura felt as passionately about Sasuke as Naruto did.

"Look," Ino said, catching his attention, "Sure Sakura likes Sasuke and in a way she still does. It is pretty hard to get over your first crush you know" she was clearly talking from experience. Sai caught wind that Ino liked the broody Uchiha too. He just could not understand why anyone would still like or trust a man like that. Yet he promised to give him the benefit of the doubt for Naruto's sake and so he continued to listen to the girl before him, biting his tongue.

Ino continued her explanation, "Years ago Sakura pined over Sasuke, but she wasn't the only one. I mean who wouldn't like him? He was cool, smart, strong…every girls dream. Yet Naruto on the other hand…well…how can I put this?" she paused and made a gesture with her hand as if she just smelt something rotten, "he was an idiot" she stated as a matter of fact. Sai raised an eyebrow and could not help but smile a little. It was good to know some things never changed.

"Naruto would always get into trouble, ran circles around the teachers, failed most of his tests and always tried to compete with Sasuke. But he kept looking like a moron and it was embarrassing to watch. You can't blame Sakura for thinking negatively of Naruto back then as we all did. None of us knew he had the nine tails in him off course, but that wouldn't have made much of a difference…anyway, as you can see for your self our opinion of Naruto changed over the years. He was stronger and smarter than we gave him credit for and has impressed all of us. Admittedly some people needed convincing by actually fighting with him, like Neji and Gaara, but he never once failed. Well, until Sasuke came along, but even so, he managed to keep his promise to her right?"

"You mean the promise to bring Sasuke back?" Sai asked, she nodded, "but Naruto explained to Sakura that he wasn't doing it for her. Even when Sakura told him she loved him he didn't believe her and told her the promise was not the issue"

Ino studied him for a moment and blinked, it seemed she had missed something, "Sakura what?!" she shouted, clamming up the moment she heard some noise behind them, she grabbed Sai's sleeve and pulled him down to the ground to crouch next to her in the cover of the hedges surrounding them, like a sneak mission.

"Well she wasn't being honest. She was supposed to tell Naruto that we had all agreed that Sasuke was a traitor and needed to be stopped." He explained, Ino instantly understood.

"Well off course she couldn't tell him that…it would have broken his heart. She had been supporting him this whole time and promised to bring Sasuke back with him. To suddenly change her mind because of everyone else…it isn't like Sakura."

Sai looked confused, "I don't understand…didn't Sakura do it to free Naruto of his promise so she wasn't a burden to him anymore?"

The kunoichi picked up a small flower in her hands and examined it. Sai watched the gentle care she gave the delicate object. Ino started to speak once more, "Sakura cares for both those idiots. More than anyone she has watched them grow and fight and it was slowly breaking her heart. Yet Sakura is stronger than anyone else I know. To this day she is the only person to overpower my mind transfer jutsu with such ease. Her willpower is pretty impressive, not that I would tell her that myself, she has a big enough head as it is."

"I still don't understand" he said. She sunk her head as if defeated and then gave him a scornful look.

"Sakura liked Sasuke for a long time, but he was always cold to her. He was cold to everyone. Even after joining his team Sakura was made to feel inferior and unimportant. She learnt the hard way that if she wanted to stop being the one who was protected all the time then she needed to step up a gear. She told me once that Naruto helped make her see that. Watching him fight made her want to get stronger too. He has a way of doing that to people…." The image of a timid Hinata crossed her mind for a brief instant. "All she ever wanted was to be seen by Sasuke…yet even now that guy pays little attention to the world around him. He was always so focussed on his goal. Even I could see that the only person he truly paid any attention to was Naruto"

"So are you saying Sasuke does not have feelings for Sakura?" Sai asked.

Ino shrugged, "who knows what he is thinking these days…what I am getting at is that Sasuke never really let anyone close. As much as Sakura claimed to love him, she didn't really know him and, like Naruto, pined for the memory of someone they once knew…besides, as Sasuke disappeared it is only natural that Sakura and Naruto would get closer. They spend enough time together."

"That may be true, but I still don't see it completely…Sakura always yells and scolds Naruto, yet it doesn't seem to phase him. I know she worries about him, but…"

Ino cut him off, "Look Sai, there is something you need to understand about women. Now I will only say this once."

He nodded in understanding and remained silent.

"All any woman ever truly wants is to be loved. Someone to fight for them, protect them, hold them and make all their worries go away." She couldn't help the blush that appeared on her face. Luckily she was not the only one who had a hint of pink on their cheeks. "Each woman can have a different taste in the type of guy they like. Some like the cool type, some the warm and cuddly type. Yet you never truly know a person and first impressions can be wrong"

Sai nodded in agreement. He understood this completely as his impressions of most of the people he had met were wrong. Yet he still had a long way to go before he completely understood them. Some things you just could not learn from a book.

"People can be blind to what is straight in front of them and sometimes realise it too late. Naruto makes Sakura laugh, he cheers her up and puts hope in her heart. He has protected her god knows how many times and always puts her first. It is obvious to everyone, except Sakura, that he has feelings for her." She looked at Sai who nodded in agreement. "Some women like to hide how they truly feel to prevent being hurt…I guess what I am trying to say is that Sakura likes him, she just doesn't know it yet"

"I read in a book once that you smile at the people you like." Sai spoke up, clearly thinking. "I always saw how Naruto looked at Sakura but now I think about it Sakura did the same."

"See!" Ino cheered, smiling.

Sai stood up and brushed himself off, he was not completely convinced yet. He just hoped Naruto was not in for a world of hurt. "We should go" he saw a head of blonde hair nod before Ino stood and followed him. As he turned away and began to walk through the clearing he missed the gentle smile that was aimed his way.

…..

_It feels so warm…too warm. Man it's getting hot…Hey fox is that you? _Naruto spoke into his mind.

"**No…I advise you wake up…your friend doesn't look so good" **

Naruto recognised the voice of the beast echo inside of him. It was a lot friendlier than it used to be and filled him with a warm feeling. He would never be alone again. Yet at the same time he couldn't help but wonder what the fox meant..._friend? who? _He thought to himself, then it dawned on him.

Naruto jerked awake but his movements were limited as a dead weight pressed down on him. He tried to move to look down at the head of pink hair that rested on him. "Sakura-chan?" he whispered her name but she did not respond. He tried to sit upright and the sudden feeling of pins and needles ran through his arms and legs, causing him discomfort. He didn't want to move but he knew he had to. Tapping his feet on the ground and clenching his fists he slowly regained some feeling in his extremities, surprised to find that Sakura did not wake up from his movements. A nervous feeling wrenched through his gut, _something is wrong, _he realised_. _

Gently lifting Sakura up by her shoulders he managed to get a good look at her face, she was sweating profusely and was bright red, her hair clung to her skin. "Sakura-chan?!" he shook her a little but she did not wake, instead she gave a pained expression and it made his heart jump into his throat. With one hand he kept her propped up in a seated position as his other hand touched her forehead. He retracted it immediately, _damn, she is burning up! Shit, shit, what do I do, I have never seen Sakura so sick before! _He could feel himself starting to panic a little.

Sakura groaned, "Na..ru…to" he looked at her with a hopeful expression.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" he asked desperately.

"co..ld" she said, shivering.

_How can she be cold? She is like a furnace!_ Yet he knew it wasn't time to think he had to do something to help her. His first thought was to take her to the hospital but then he wasn't sure if moving her was a good idea. So he slowly picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. _Uh Sakura-chan, you are surprisingly heavy! _He thought to himself, the image of an angry pink haired konoichi pummelling him onto oblivion made him realise he should never say that out loud.

He reached his bed and placed her down gently. She stirred a little and shivered so he pulled a thin blanket over her. It was weird for him to look down at her in his bed, but he couldn't help have a little part of him being quite happy about it. _Is that bad of me? _He wondered. He thought for a moment about what to do. Recalling something he saw before he rushed into the kitchen and filled a bowl of water, then picked up a cloth and headed back into the bedroom.

Sitting down next to the bed he placed a wet cloth onto her forehead. The small gesture seemed to immediately give her a little relief and he was pleased to see it was working. He watched her for what felt like an eternity. All sorts of feelings ran through him at that moment. It was as if her suffering broke the barriers of his heart. _Damn it _he thought. _I can't hold it in anymore. _He leant closer to her and picked up the towel from her forehead. It was stone dry already! He soaked it in the bowl and went to place it back on her head but paused in his movements. "Sakura-chan," he whispered, his face leaning in close to hers, she did not stir. He hesitated, "Please don't hate me for this" he whispered and in that moment he slowly placed his lips to rest on her forehead. Her skin was clammy and hot. She did not stir and although his heart fluttered and threatened to jump from his chest through pure nerves, he was grateful she did not wake. He placed the towel gently back on her head and let out a shy sigh of relief. He gently stroked some strands of hair away from her face.

"Sasuke…no" the sound of their team mates name crossing her lips made him feel like he was being stabbed in his heart. He knew it was stupid. He had always known where he stood with her. He had to remind himself that she was just dreaming and most likely having the same dream again where Sasuke killed him, but for some reason it just pissed him off. He knew this feeling all too well, jealousy. It was on par with hatred and could turn the best men into hateful ones. Yet when a small, frail hand reached out suddenly and grabbed hold of his hand instinctively Naruto suddenly forgot what he was feeling and looked at his friend with worry. Sakura was in pain and she wasn't waking up.

"I need to get a doctor" he realised, talking to himself. Yet he knew he couldn't leave her alone. Placing his hands together he summoned his shadow clones once more. "Go and find either granny Tsunade or Ino" he ordered. They nodded and within seconds were gone. He turned to look at the woman he loved. He squeezed her hand slightly and found himself almost wishing that he still had the ability to heal others, but that was a gift he lost in the war. Her words to him still rang in his ears, the promise to let her take care of his wounds. It actually made him happy to hear her say that. He knew they would always be friends, always be team mates…but was it enough? At one time just seeing her was enough, but then he had to hear her voice and feel her touch, even if it was painful. After seeing her smile for him for the first time had made him desperately want to keep her smiling forever. When she cried for him his heart couldn't take it, it was too much to bear. He looked down at the frail hand in his that grasped onto him tightly as it's owner fought the fever that threatened to consume her. It was no good, he realised, just watching wasn't enough anymore. He needed her and the more he realised it the more it hurt.

….

_Aww man, why did Kurenai have to do this?! As if I am not embarrassed enough already! _Shikamaru thought to himself, grumbling in his usual tone. Temari didn't seem to be too phased by it all, luckily she had been with him when his sensei approached him spontaneously and asked him to look after her child. It turned out that she was needed for something and the baby sitter had cancelled on her unexpectedly.

"Are you still moping?" The blonde haired sand ninja asked, giving him a teasing smile, "Carrying a child kind of suits you" she laughed at his shocked expression.

He gritted his teeth in response. She was enjoying this way too much. After all part of the reason he was in this mess was because of her going all googly eyed at the kid. Although he had to admit, the little brat was kind of cute. He definitely looked like Asuma, or at least how he imagined his teacher to have looked as a child.

The pair of Jounin stopped in their tracks as a flash of blond landed in front of them.

"What the…?" Temari shouted, with a jerk she placed a hand on her fan as a precaution.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Naruto..?"

The blue eyes of their friend glanced over at them and smiled, making a step closer he opened his mouth and started to speak, "Shikamaru, where is In.." as he burst forward in what seemed like desperation the clone suddenly stopped in his tracks and glanced at the small load in the pouch around Shikamaru's chest. Blue eyes glanced at the brown haired child then up at the man carrying it and the woman standing beside him. He slowly pointed a finger at them both and said, "Did…I had no idea…congratulations!"

Shikamaru and Temari both went stunningly beetroot as Naruto made the implication that the child was theirs.

"You idiot! This is Asuma's kid, I was asked to look after him for a while" The brown haired man shouted, clearly irritated. Naruto caught the "hmph" from the girl standing next to him and grinned. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously, "I knew that!" he said. Beads of sweat poured from the couple's heads. _Idiot, _they both thought at the same time.

"What is it you want?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto's expression changed as if he had just remembered something important, "Sakura is sick, I need Ino" he blurted.

"Isn't that the medic ninja that saved my brother?" Temari asked, Naruto nodded. "Is she alright?" she knew she could offer to help but she barely knew anything to do with healing.

"She has a high fever" Naruto explained.

"I haven't seen Ino…have you tried the hospital?" The village hero nodded, "The flower shop?" he nodded at that too.

"I went to find granny Tsunade too but she is super busy and told me not to bother her" He grumbled. Temari was surprised that this guy was still referring to his leader so casually.

"Um is everything alright?" A timid voice asked from behind them. The three shinobi turned to glance at the approaching figures of Hinata and Shino.

"Hinata" Naruto spoke her name softly.

"What's going on?" Shino asked in his usual cool tone.

Temari looked at the hint of a blush on the blond idiots face and over to the two new comers. There was definitely something awkward between their hero and the Hyuuga girl. "Apparently Sakura is sick. This guy is looking for someone to help" she pointed at Naruto casually.

"Hey Hinata don't you have a little medical knowledge?" Shikamaru asked. She nodded genuinely looked concerned and worried about the wellbeing of her friend.

"That's right!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly coming out of his stupor. He grabbed Hinata by the arm and started to pull her along with him. Hinata followed him willingly. An irritated Shino followed suit.

…..

**A/N: Well it is a bit shorter than usual but I think that is an ok place to stop. Please let me know what you think. Apologies for any mistakes made.  
**

**Completely unrelated but I would like to take this moment to give my best wishes to a brilliant actor and comedian that died today and to my cousin who also passed away recently…you never know where life will take you so live it well. **

8


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, merely a fan. **

**Author's Note: Than you for all the kind comments and constructive feedback. I hope this next instalment continues to satisfy. **

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 8**

Hinata panted as she tried to keep the pace of the blond haired ninja that pulled her. Without even realising it he had subconsciously grabbed her hand and led her away. His hand was warm as always and she was glad at that moment he had his back to her. Even though she could tell he was a clone, the action had embarrassed her. She reassured herself that if he did notice the colour of her cheeks that she could play it down as being hot from running.

Shino watched the pair in front of him carefully, following in silence. He was not sure how this was going to turn out but he didn't see much good from his friend's point of view and worried for her.

As they approached the roof top opposite Naruto's apartment and jumped down onto his landing the door opened and they were greeted by the real Naruto. "I couldn't find the others" the Naruto clone said to the blond mirror image of himself. The Naruto in the doorway stood with a towel in his hands. He looked hot and worried and had removed his jacket to show his black vest that he usually wore underneath.

"Naruto-kun, where is she?" The hyuuga girl asked, determination suddenly appearing on her face. Shino had to admire that at that moment she was able to put her feelings aside and concentrate on task. Pretty impressive considering this was probably the first time she had ever been to the home of the guy she liked.

Naruto looked at Hinata and stepped to one side, letting her in. He nodded to his clone, allowing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. As Shino went to follow Hinata into the building Naruto looked at him and seemed surprised, "eh, what are you doing here?"

"Hinata and I were on our way to meet Kiba when you grabbed her and brought her here." Shino explained, his tone a little cold and unappreciative as usual. It gave Naruto the creeps and he grinned nervously, letting out a sigh of relief as the insect man's glare turned away from him and followed his team mate inside. Closing the door behind him Naruto swerved around the pair and led them to his bedroom.

Hinata managed to keep a hold of her self as she entered Naruto's room for the first time. She had seen Kiba's room once and remembered how embarrassed she was to be there. Looking around it was reasonably bare and spacious except for a photo of his team at the side of his bed. She never realised before that Naruto was not the type to collect things.

She caught the site of pink and focussed on the form lying on the bed in front of her. It was not easy to see Sakura lying on his bed but she knew by looking at their pink haired friend that she was not in a great way and Naruto was right not to move her. Hinata immediately blocked all thought from her mind and ran up to Sakura. She knelt on the ground next to the bed and placed a hand on Sakura's head. _She has a fever, _she realised. Noticing that Sakura was also breathing through her mouth and not her nose, and sounded chesty. Hinata concluded that she was probably suffering from a case of flu. She scanned the room and noticed that Naruto had already slightly opened the window and there was a bowl of water next to the bed with a damp cloth on Sakura's forehead. _He has been trying to keep her temperature down, _she realised, a little envious. She had always wondered what it would be like to be looked after by Naruto. She scolded herself for thinking in such a way, it wasn't like her.

"Hinata?" Naruto spoke her name hesitantly from the side lines. The dark haired girl slowly stood up.

"Is it what I think it is?" Shino asked, standing in the doorway.

Hinata nodded, she turned around and looked at their blond friend, "Sakura has the flu. Don't worry Naruto-kun she will be okay so long as we can keep her fever down. If her body temperature gets too high it could be bad."

Naruto looked at the cloth in his hands and back up at them, "what can I do to help?" he asked.

"Can you get more water and a couple more fresh towels?" Hinata asked softly. Naruto nodded and left the room.

"Shino, could you please lend me your strength?" she asked gently.

He stepped into the room and unfolded his crossed arms, "You want me to use that?"

Hinata nodded. He studied her for a second, unsure whether to go ahead with this or not. Yet looking down at their sick friend he knew something was wrong. "Okay" he sighed. Lifting an arm up he slowly summoned his insects in his mind and allowed a small swarm of them to leave his body. The tickling and crawling sensation became numb to him a long time ago. The small group of insects slowly made their way onto their sick friend and covered her from head to toe. He had ordered them to check her blood flow for infection and to inject a small amount of their own antibodies to counter attack any toxins in Sakura's body. The process did not take long and as the door opened behind them once more, the last of the insects made their way back into their nest. Upon their return he immediately felt the reason why Sakura's body was so feverish and how long she had been fighting it.

Naruto entered the room in time to see the last insect go back inside Shino and stood studying the two if his friends carefully from behind. Something was going on and he didn't know what.

Hinata checked Sakura over and nodded, she could already see the difference but her friend was soaking wet in her own sweat. "We have to take her clothes off" Hinata spoke out loud

"Eh?!" Naruto almost dropped the bowl of water in his hands. The thought of Sakura naked in his bed, before his eyes, almost resulted in a nose bleed. Hinata stood and turned to look at him, she immediately saw the blush on his face and a guilty expression.

"Naruto-kun, do you have anything that Sakura can wear?" she asked sheepishly. She knew what she was asking but when the last words came from her mouth and with the expression on the boys faces she realised they were reading a lot into this and it made her a little uncomfortable. Naruto went into an almost dream like stupor before a cough from Sakura knocked him out of his senses. He placed the bowl down by the side of the bed and rummaged around his drawers for a clean t-shirt. "Um, will this do?" he asked their dark haired friend. Hinata nodded and took the item from his hands. Ducking her head to hide her own embarrassment she pushed both boys out of the room. "Naruto-kun, Shino, I need you both to leave" she said in an assertive way.

"But why?!" Naruto protested, as the door slammed in his face. Yet the memory of his sensei warning him that time in the bath house, to not spy on Sakura, came flowing to his mind as he thought of taking a peak back inside the room. _I shouldn't, if Sakura-chan found out she would kill me…_he realised, a little disappointed. The image of his sick friend made his thoughts less perverse. The two boys stood and leant against the wall on either side of the door. The silence was awkward.

Thinking back to what he just saw Naruto decided to break the silence and get some answers. "Hey Shino" the sudden change in Naruto's tone and demeanour took the insect man by surprise. "What did you do to Sakura-chan?" he asked.

Shino raised an eyebrow and turned to look across the room, he half smiled to himself, "so you saw that huh?"

Naruto nodded and leant against the wall, also looking ahead. "I know you used your insects on her, I could feel it…but why? I thought Hinata said she just had a cold?"

"Hinata probably didn't want to worry you." Shino answered honestly.

Naruto looked over at his friend and pushed himself away from the wall, "I have seen you use that before on someone during the war…tell me, what does this mean?"

Shino sighed, not many people were supposed to know about this, but it was clear that Sakura had been keeping it a secret from her team mate. It was for the same reason as Hinata, so as not to worry him, but he knew that such sentiment meant nothing to a man such as Naruto. Naruto cared too much about everyone around him to sit back and watch while someone suffered in silence. Yet he would not understand that it was for that very reason why the people around him sometimes had to act and do things that he was not aware of. Shino was not sure on how to approach the matter but he also was not one to lie or to pussy foot around things. Naruto needed to know the truth.

"To be the medical ninja that Sakura is today she had to take risks." He began to explain, "in order to find the right cure for the right person she has had to do a lot of experimentation in her role. She is a true scientist." He could see the relatively blank expression on the blond man's face.

Naruto stood with crossed arms and nodded. He knew Sakura was smart. He would even say that out of all their friends, Shikamaru was probably number one with Neji and Sakura a close second when it came to intellect.

Shino realised he would need to explain a bit more, "Take poison as an example."

Naruto looked up and nodded, "Yeah I know, I watched her help that puppet guy out that time. Even the old lady said Sakura was like granny Tsunade." His admiration and pride at Sakura's strength and intellect was evident in his smile.

"How do you think Sakura became so good at that?" Shino asked, immediately changing Naruto's expression into a frown. "It is not an easy feat. In order to fully understand it Sakura had to know what the difference between each poison was and how to create the right antidotes. She needed to know the side effects and symptoms. But sometimes that meant taking the poison herself to test the antidote and fully understand the characteristics of the poison."

Naruto froze, he clearly had no idea.

"She found a way to help create a natural antibody to some poisons and toxins that could infect a person's blood stream. Using my clan to help we developed a new jutsu that could suck the chemicals from one person's body and transfer it into our own"

"But wouldn't that…" Naruto began to ask if it would not have an impact on Shino but his friend raised a hand and shook his head.

"Thanks to Sakura's experiments we managed to create an antibody that we exposed our insects to. This enables us to cancel out any threat. It is what I just used on her."

Naruto starred at the man in front of him in surprise, "So…Sakura-chan is poisoned?" he asked.

Shino shook his head, "no, it was an example of how far she pushes her self to the limit. Sakura continues to expose herself to all elements and various chemicals and herbs in her experiments to create medicines. Breathing in those fumes could be enough to contribute to her feeling the way she is now…that and her evident lack of sleep and rest." Shino finished. In short Sakura had the flu because of how much she wore herself out.

Naruto nodded in understanding. The war may be over but the casualties were high. Sakura was running around doing what she could for everyone…

Shino studied his friend and sighed, he stepped away from the wall, "Naruto, I may not know Sakura well, but I know she has been taking many unnecessary risks lately and I think it is because of you" he was serious with his statement. Blue eyes met his through shaded lenses and frowned.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know for sure, but my theory is that Sakura has been trying to find a way to free the tailed beasts from your body without killing you"

….

Hinata wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and let out a sigh of relief. She had done her best to cleanse Sakura and now her temperature had gone down she was able to take a break. Pulling the covers back over her friend she lifted herself off the floor and made her way to the door. As she entered the room on the other side the smile she had been wearing soon gave way when the intense atmosphere hit her. Naruto and Shino stood facing each other and silence consumed the room.

"Um, Naruto-kun, is everything okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Naruto was unable to speak. He was still stunned by what Shino had told him. He thought Sakura's dreams and strange mood lately was somewhat related to Sasuke and the war, but now he realised he was wrong. She was suffering because of him. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Hinata looked at Shino and the small nod of his head and regretful expression immediately told her he had said something that had upset their friend, but she was not sure what.

She tried to break the silence, "Sakura's temperature has gone down" she said with a smile, "she should wake up soon." She was met with silence. Scanning the room nervously she saw the paper shopping bag on the side and identified the contents on the top. Walking over to inspect the contents she said, "These are ingredients for medicine"

Naruto glanced her way, "Sakura-chan bought them this morning"

Hinata nodded, Sakura must have collapsed before she could make a batch and Naruto, as much as he meant well, didn't have a clue on how to begin to make a remedy. "I am surprised she didn't just get some from the hospital after she collapsed yesterday." Hinata had meant her words innocently but completely forgot that they agreed not to tell him.

Naruto was surprised, "Sakura-chan collapsed?"

Hinata blushed and bit her lip, "Yes, just after healing you" She looked at Shino for reassurance and he shrugged his shoulders.

Naruto shook his head and ruffled his own hair with his hands, "Why is she doing this?!" he asked in frustration. She was pushing herself and he went and got hurt, forcing her to push harder. He was an idiot.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata hesitated with what she was about to say as it pained her to say it but she swallowed some courage and resolve, after all, what mattered to her was Naruto's happiness. "Sakura cares about you. She wants to be able to help you."

"But if anything happens to Sakura-chan I couldn't cope with it!" Naruto practically shouted, "Why won't she see that her just being there is enough for me?!"

"Naruto" Shino said his name as if in a warning. Naruto snapped out of his stupor and studied the face of the woman in front of him. He suddenly felt incredibly guilty.

"Hinata, I'm sorry" was all he could say.

Hinata forced a timid little smile out and had to hold a hand to her chest to stop herself from collapsing from the ache inside of her. Her heart threatened to break free. She had known for a long time how Naruto felt for his team mate. It only ever started as a form of respect. She would watch him from the shadows and quietly cheer him on. Then as time passed she realised she wanted him to notice her and fought to get stronger too. But she wasn't the only one watching him grow or changing from being near him. Even from the shadows she saw how he looked at Sakura and wondered why the pink haired girl couldn't understand him. Yet it never occurred to her that in time Sakura's feelings could also change and Naruto's would only get stronger, like her own. "Naruto-kun, maybe…maybe you should…tell her." She finally breathed out, stumbling on her words. "It might help"

Naruto stood and watched Hinata silently as she passed him and went into the kitchen to make up some more medicine. He wasn't sure if he should follow her or just allow her some space.

….

Sakura felt like her body was heavy. It ached all over but she felt warm and knew she was lying on something soft. Slowly it had become easier to breathe and her chest no longer felt as tight. The tingling sensation in her extremities slowly reduced as she wriggled her fingers and toes a little to test their movement. She could hear voices and gradually opened her eyes. Her vision was a little blurred but after blinking for several moments she soon realised she was starring up at the ceiling.

_This isn't my ceiling, _she realised. Then her memory of coming by Naruto's place slowly sunk in. She jolted upright in fright at the realisation that she was in his bed! She scanned the room and was relieved to see she was alone, but when she placed her hands on her chest to steady her beating heart she identified she was not wearing her own clothes.

"Eeehhhhh!" she screamed.

…

"Was that Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his ears pricking up. He ran in the direction of his room. As he reached the doorway he forced it open in panic that something had happened to her. He stumbled slightly upon entry.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto spoke up, wanting to know if she was okay. He immediately received a blow to the head from a clock. He lifted his arms in defence.

"What the hell am I doing in your clothes?!" she demanded, picking up a book and hitting him with it. He blocked with his arms and tried to explain, "It's not what you think!" He protested, "Your clothes were sweaty, you were so hot, we had to change you!" But his explanation only made her look at him in such a way he felt he had a death wish. The picture frame came next and he dodged it, forcing it to smash against the wall as it fell.

"Why am I in your bed? What do you mean by 'we'?" she demanded some more, picking up a pillow as her last resort. Naruto flinched but the pillow did not make contact. He squinted at her and realised from her expression she was looking at something of someone behind her.

"Shino?" she rasped his name in confusion as to why he of all people was here.

Naruto studied her and upon seeing her flushed expression, kneeling on his bed with her long, slim, pale legs on show and his t-shirt covering her like a small dress, forced his heart and mind into auto drive. She was unbelievably cute.

Becoming suddenly self aware Sakura almost squeaked and grabbed the bed cover, pulling it up as she edged her way to the corner of the bed, hiding her face and trying to steady her panicked mind. Why she had reacted that way and got out of control she didn't know. She trusted Naruto. Thinking now she realised it was stupid to think he would try anything. She was just embarrassed, even more so now she knew someone like Shino had just witnessed her outburst.

"Um Sakura-san, you are awake?" The soft voice of Hinata made the boys sigh in relief as they moved to let her in.

"Hinata?" Sakura was surprised to see their female friend. She was relieved to realise it was Hinata that had helped her and began to relax a little, it explained why Shino was here anyway. As Hinata gave her some medicine to take and a glass of water Sakura started to feel a little better, "Thank you"

Hinata blushed and shook her head, "You don't need to thank me" she said.

"Nonsense Hinata, I couldn't have done it without you" Naruto argued, placing a hand on her shoulder from behind. Hinata stiffened at the touch and looked into the empty cup in her hands. Sakura, being in front of the girl, noticed the response and was concerned by it. Naruto could really be a blind fool at times.

"Hinata, we should be going. Kiba is waiting." Shino pitched in, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh yes!" Hinata's expression suddenly changed at the realisation they were late. She turned to check Sakura was okay before leaving some instructions with Naruto about when to give Sakura her medicine. The pair then made their way out.

As the door to the front of Naruto's flat closed her turned to find a furious Sakura glaring at him and gulped.

…

"Man, what the hell is taking them so long?" Kiba whined to his pet and friend, Akamaru. The white dog moaned in response. "It isn't like them to be late"

Yet just as the young man was beginning to get worried and think something was wrong he suddenly noticed a familiar scent and looked down on the ground. By their feet and leading off in the opposite direction was a row of insects. "Shino? Is he trying to lead me somewhere?" he wondered out loud.

He followed the row until it ended at a small clearing, he recognised the space immediately. They were in the training area that they knew so well. The space they had their examination test with Kurenai sensei. _Humph this brings back memories, _he thought with a small smile appearing on his lips. He got off Akamaru and walked around a bit, _where are they?_ He wondered.

As if answering his question two people landed behind him after jumping down from the tree tops. He smelt their scent and knew immediately who it was. Spinning around he immediately barked, "where the hell have you been?!" Yet upon meeting Shino's warning glare and Hinata's pale face he knew something was wrong and bit his tongue.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked a little hesitant after a moment of silence almost drove him crazy. Akamaru cocked his head to one side and stood next to his master, clearly concerned too.

"We were held up with Naruto. Sakura is sick" Shino explained.

Kiba looked at his friend and at the sad expression Hinata wore. She looked like someone had died. "Is Sakura alright?" he asked, Shino nodded.

"Thanks to Hinata she is fine." His friend's response had hidden meaning and Kiba picked it up. They had been friends long enough to be able to read each other well.

Akamaru slowly approached Hinata and whined, rubbing his head against her leg. The konoichi knelt down and stroked Akamaru's head, trying to force a smile.

Kiba walked over to them and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hinata…stop trying to hide it" he demanded, "just let it out"

That was all she needed. That one small reassuring touch and those words were enough to completely open the floodgate that threatened to consume her. Hinata wrapped her arms around Akamaru and cried into his fur as Kiba knelt beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders. Shino stood watching over them.

…..

**Author's note: I feel for Hinata. I know full well what a one sided love feels like and so I get it with all the characters, but if I want Naruto's love to be requited then it means someone else's has to be sacrificed. You can't have it all ways. **

**Thank you for reading please let me know what you think. **

8


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

**Author's Note: Apologies for the slightly longer wait than usual. I had a wonderful holiday…My own romantic path has reached a new page, I am engaged! He asked my parents permission and everything! Very traditional, I am very happy! **

**Anyway, enough about me, you guys need a NaruSaku fix…so where were we? Oh yeah, poor Hinata. I am glad some of you were moved by my description of her, I was worried I wouldn't do her justice. Thank you again for your comments and feedback, it means a lot and helps to motivate me to write more. Please keep them coming. **

**I apologise in advance though if this isn't up to scratch as my mind has been preoccupied lately! **

**From the Heart**

**Chapter 9**

The silence in the room was awkward. Looking at him now you wouldn't have thought that the blond nervous wreck standing in the doorway to his own bedroom was the hero of the second great ninja war. All thoughts of attempts for an excuse to leave the room failed to complete themselves as his female pink haired friend sat staring at him. It seemed like hours they had been like that but was only seconds, yet her eyes were intense as she studied him. He wondered what she was thinking at that moment in time and couldn't help but sweat from the ream of thoughts that came to mind. He wished she would shout or throw something at him again. At least violent Sakura was predictable. Yet the angry look in her face had disappeared as quickly as it came, surprising him and taking him off guard. He couldn't help but wish that Shino and Hinata hadn't been in such a hurry to leave.

When Sakura eventually lowered her gaze and studied the material sitting in her lap he felt his shoulders slump and a sigh of relief unwillingly came out.

"Naruto…what exactly are your feelings for Hinata?" Sakura's voice was reasonably quiet yet a shock wave went through his spine and put his hair on end. He slowly raised his head to look at her but she continued to stare at her hands. Her complexion was still red and glossy and he guessed her fever had not completely subsided yet. He wondered if her fever had gotten to her. Asking something like this out of the blue wasn't her style. But then again, confessing to him as pretence to protect him wasn't something he thought she would ever do either. 

When Naruto did not answer immediately, Sakura could not help but look at him once more. His hesitation bothered her more than she cared to admit. It was difficult to raise the courage to ask that question and she was burning hot as it was! Yet seeing the blank look on his face she realised this was probably not the right time, "Sorry Naruto, you don't have to answer that" she changed her position and sat sideways on the bed, leaning her back against the wall, being careful to not show any flesh from the waist down.

She could feel his gaze on her and her body getting hotter in response to it. The room was silent again for a short time before he coughed and finally decided to speak.

"To be honest Sakura-chan, I haven't given it much thought…"

She glanced his way and saw him run a hand through his blond locks as he sighed.

"I have always seen Hinata as a good friend…at first I thought she was a little weird and creepy, the way she would always follow me around and stuff, but then I realised in some ways she was like me."

"Like you?" Sakura repeated, she knew what he meant but wanted to show she was listening. His blue eyes looked into hers and he nodded, a small smile appearing in nervousness as he rubbed the back of his head in a familiar pose.

"She just wanted to get stronger and for people to notice her…I could understand that and I could see how hard she was trying and wanted to help her reach that dream."

"I see" Sakura couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Hinata at that moment. A feeling she was not used to.

"I had no idea that what I did would …" he stopped mid sentence. His expression was sad and remorseful.

"Naruto…you can't blame yourself for her falling in love with you" Sakura's words shocked him. He didn't realise she knew Hinata's feelings.

Naruto shrugged and lowered the hand that was on his head, looking down at the floor, "But I know how it feels to…" he stopped himself.

"To what?" she looked at him almost urging him to say it yet at the same time wanting him to remain silent. Her heart fluttered hard in her chest. This feeling was surprising and seemed more powerful than her usual experiences.

Naruto studied her some more and seemed to be mentally preparing himself for something, "I know how it feels to like someone and them not feel the same way" he breathed out, yet the intensity of his gaze caused her to grab the bed cover in a firm grip.

"I see" she replied. He had given something away in his body language but his words also hit a nerve. She also knew what it was like to like someone who didn't reciprocate her feelings. It hurt like hell.

Silence filled the room and it was intense.

"Naruto…I think you should talk to Hinata honestly about how you feel" she spoke up.

Naruto couldn't help but wince and she caught the pained look in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

His sudden nervous mannerisms told her he had already done something wrong. "Naruto?" she said his name in a drawn out way as if to say, 'what have you done?'

"I might have said something earlier that upset her" he admitted, though clearly not wanting to divulge too much detail. Sakura sighed, that would probably explain why she flinched at his touch. He always was late to realise these things.

"All the more reason to talk to her properly" she scolded.

"Do you really think that would help?" he asked, hesitant at her suggestion. He for one knew how many times his heart hurt every time she mentioned Sasuke's name. It was like being stabbed repeatedly.

Sakura thought for a minute before replying, "When I confessed to Sasuke back then, he made it clear he did not feel the same way. As much as it hurt, it also helped me to move on."

Naruto found himself taking a couple of steps closer to the bed. He knew that Sakura had tried to stop Sasuke back then and knew how she felt for the guy, but he didn't realise she had confessed her feelings to him. It made sense now as to why she was so upset that she couldn't stop him from leaving. He had rejected her.

She scoffed and gave a small smile as she looked up at the wall ahead of her, "you know, he actually thanked me for trying to stop him and for caring for him"

Naruto was stunned, "that jerk" he muttered. His comment came out in a bitter tone but for some reason it made her smile gently at him.

"He actually called me annoying too" she admitted. Naruto's fist clenched at the idea and it made her smile even more. "I guess back then I was, but if it wasn't for his negative attitude towards me I may not have learnt to see things from other people's perspectives…I was so horrible to you and to Lee too. Sasuke helped me realise I was wrong, wrong about a lot of things."

"I had no idea" Naruto muttered, eventually standing alongside the bed and sitting on the end of it, staring at his hands and the floor.

Sakura shrugged it off, yet at the same time found it so easy to talk to him about this stuff. It surprised her immensely. Naruto was proving to be a good listener. "It's just part of growing up right?" she said rhetorically, not expecting an answer.

"You know, thinking back I realised that I hung on every small thing Sasuke did or said that was positive. I truly felt that bit by bit, if I was persistent enough, I could change the way he looked at me. Like the way everyone changed their thoughts towards you" she continued to explain. Naruto glanced at her and caught her looking out of the window thoughtfully, "yet in the end the only one who truly changed was me".

"Um, Sakura-chan, can I ask you a question?" he asked seriously. She looked at him and nodded. "Don't get angry with me okay?" his question caused her to raise an eyebrow but she nodded in response. "When did you give up on Sasuke?"

"Huh?" she looked at him a little stunned, "I don't understand…" she replied.

Naruto sighed, "I may just be reading too much into this but you haven't used a suffix with him while talking about him…" his observation surprised her. She hadn't even noticed it herself. "That and, well, when you talk about him you seem pretty sad", he finished.

"Given up?" she repeated the words slowly and took time to think about it. He was right off course. She was no longer making attempts to impress Sasuke or catch his attention. She hadn't been for a long time now. When had it started? At first, after Sasuke left, she truly believed that with effort and hard work she could help bring him back and change his mind. Like Naruto had done with so many people so many times. Yet as time went by and they finally caught up with Sasuke, it was only made more real to her how little he thought of her and how far away she was from him. Even though she had grown stronger, even though she had helped win the war, it was Naruto's strength of heart that outshone everyone else. Only because he was able to truly believe in himself and those around him and only because he kept getting stronger, was he able to overcome everything put before him. It was all him, it was always him. Looking into her friends blue eyes she decided to be a little more honest with herself, "Naruto, we are not all like you. No matter what I tried the most I achieved was to make Sasuke acknowledge me as a team mate and someone he could rely on in battle. He never looked at me as a woman."

Naruto blushed and scanned her up and down before turning to look at the door in front of him. "Maybe he's gay" he said. His comment surprised and amused Sakura and she couldn't help but laugh. Seeing her laugh made him smile, it was heart warming.

"It is possible…after all, you were the only person that could ever get through to him" she stated. It took a moment for him to realise what she was insinuating and he immediately raised his arms up in dire protest at the thought of him and Sasuke being an item. "Well you have kissed already" she teased, loving his reaction.

Naruto froze at the memory and shook his head in despair, "please Sakura-chan, please stop" he whined. Sakura continued to chuckle.

"You know, now I think about it, you did do a pretty impressive Harem Jutsu during the war…" she looked at him with a sly grin, "is there something you want to tell me?"

Naruto grimaced at the implication, "Sakura-chan, I am not interested in men!" he protested.

"Okay, okay" she replied, trying to breathe properly from all the laughter, although a coughing fit suddenly took over her.

Naruto leant forward with concern and reached a hand out to touch her forehead, "Sakura-chan you are still burning hot" he stated, "you should rest some more"

She pushed his hand away, "I am okay, I don't want to rest"

He had to bite his tongue…he never realised before how stubborn she could be. Reaching out for a glass of water instead he passed it to her and insisted she drink something to help ease her throat.

"Thank you" she said when she managed to compose herself once more.

Naruto sat back on the edge of the bed, this time a little further up than he was initially, but neither of them seemed to notice or care.

"Sakura-chan, did it make you happy, Sasuke acknowledging you?" he asked.

Sakura sighed, holding the glass of half drunk water in her lap, "yes and no" she replied honestly.

"I just remember you telling me that it was what you wanted" he replied, understanding how being acknowledged for your power and being acknowledged as a person were two completely different things.

Sakura sat in silence for a minute trying to think about this conversation they apparently had. She studied him and found herself asking, "When did I tell you that?"

"When we first were made into Team 7, on the park bench" he replied naturally, "though that stupid milk got the better of me".

"First met…bench…?" she repeated, her face gradually changing from peaceful to a little flustered. The only memory she had of that time was talking to Sasuke. It was the time he called her annoying for disregarding Naruto's feelings and judging him. Back then she had also told Sasuke that Naruto was annoying and only ever getting in her way…they had almost kissed. It was the only time Sasuke had ever shown a hint of liking a girl and she had, for an instant, believed he liked her. Until she screwed it up off course. As time went by she held onto that thought. The fact she might be able to sway his feelings, but she had resigned herself to thinking that it was a lapse in judgement or he had done it intentionally to spite her and rub her feelings in her face.

"Naruto…was that you?" she asked, her gaze fixed and intense on him as she suddenly thought back to the way Sasuke had run away clutching his stomach in pain…it was the same way Naruto ran off later on when she tried to go back to class with him. She had been angry that he ran away when she was putting herself out there to be nicer.

"Um…" Naruto suddenly seemed sheepish as he had said something stupid. It dawned on him that Sakura possibly never realised that back then he had disguised himself as Sasuke to try to get close to her and find out what she thought about him. Her words at the time were a little hurtful but also true. He never truly understood her and forced his feelings onto her, even though he knew she liked Sasuke. Yet at the same time it had been the one moment where he realised why he liked her so much and that she too was a little bit like him. That, and the fact she was very much a woman. A girl that new exactly what she wanted and was confident in herself. Seeing her temple throb a little he realised he needed to give her an answer, "well, you see, um, Sasuke was trying to act so tough that I wanted to teach him a lesson. I snuck into the room he was in and used my shadow clone jutsu to beat him up" he replied. She had to admit it was pretty impressive that back then he was able to get one up on the hot head.

She sat there a little stunned, "but why disguise yourself as Sasuke?" she asked, catching him off guard. She then paused as she remembered the way Sasuke had complemented her forehead and got her hopes up. It was the very thing she had just dreamed would happen. Sasuke had said he was joking and it was the type of thing Naruto would say…he was right. "Wait a second" she didn't give him time to answer her first question, although he was glad for the intrusion. "Does this mean you were the one…my forehead…all this time?" she asked, stammering between words.

Naruto nodded slowly, "I'm sorry Sakura-chan" he said honestly, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I just wanted to get to know you better but you wouldn't let me near you" his words were true.

Slightly dazed and disorientated Sakura found herself staring at the blond ninja until he started to fidget and become uncomfortable with the situation.

"Sakura-chan?" he spoke her name softly, trying to wave a hand to snap her out of her thoughts and bring her back to reality.

"I can't believe I was so stupid to fall for that" she spoke up eventually, confused and yet happy at the same time. This was a reaction Naruto did not expect. If anything he half thought she would yell at him, throw the water over him or punch him through several floors of apartments.

She put the glass of water down and studied him intensely, "Naruto, this may seem like a strange request" she said, a little sheepish and feeling hotter by the minute, "but could you say what you said to me back then again"

He looked at her a little worried. Why did she want him to do that? Yet he would do it off course, because he could never say no to her. He nodded and coughed into his hand, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place. Turning from his seated position to look at her he tried to speak, his voice cracking slightly under the pressure. He took in a breath and held it for a moment, with his eyes closed, before releasing it again and gazing upon her. This time his nerves settled down slightly as he realised that this was a chance for him.

"Sakura-chan, you have a charming forehead, it makes me want to kiss it"

He remained motionless as he watched her facial expression. Was it possible that she was a darker shade of red than she was before? Her green eyes seemed to glitter a little and a small tear fell from the corner of her eye. Instinctively he reached out and caught the water droplet before it fell, "Sakura-chan, please don't cry" he said, pain filling his heart and throat. He had not meant to hurt her or take what must have been an important memory of Sasuke away from her.

Yet Sakura was not crying out of pain or remorse. She was crying through relief and happiness. Hearing Naruto say those words and knowing he meant them. Knowing he was not going to follow it with 'joke' somehow made her feel more elated than she had ever felt before. It was the first time anyone had truly complemented her worst feature and the part she had hated about herself for so long. She reached up to take his hand away from her face, but when he tried to pull away from her she grabbed hold of him and pulled his arm towards her, causing him to lean into her.

"Sakura-chan" he whispered her name pleadingly, he needed her to let him go. He was embarrassed and hurting. Wearing his heart on his sleeve like that and ruining something for her made him feel awful. But Sakura ignored his plea and instead placed a hand to the back of his neck and pulled him in. Her heart was racing and her body felt so hot and feverish it was as if she was not of this world. She knew she looked a mess but at that moment she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing mattered at all except for the here and now. Closing her eyes as she reached up and kissed him on the lips firmly, holding him in place until he stopped fighting and remained still. His lips were cold and felt good against her hot mouth, even if for a short time, it was a memorable first kiss.

Naruto had been completely taken by surprise. He had never in a million years thought that Sakura would kiss him like that. Before he realised what was happening it was over and they both sat there with their eyes closed and heads resting on one another. He could feel her hand on the back of his neck, still refusing to let him go as the other still held onto his arm. He didn't want to open his eyes. It felt too good to be true and yet for some reason he was also beginning to doubt it. Was it the fever consuming her? Was it the memory of Sasuke? He couldn't be sure and it began to nag at him, yet he also thought back to what Tenten had said previously and to recent events…could it be possible Sakura was seeing him as a man? Breathing in deeply he took a chance and moved his body to sit a little closer to her. He paused to judge her reaction but she did not move away from him. He then reached his hand out to place on her waist, hesitantly, but she did not flinch. His heart raced even more. What the hell was going on?!

He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Sakura-chan" he spoke her name softly and she placed a finger on his lips to quieten him.

Smiling back at him she said "Don't talk, just hold me" and with that she reached for both his hands and secured them around her waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Before he knew it she had fallen asleep once more and he was left with nothing but his confused thoughts bouncing around inside of him.

….

**Author's Note: It is a short one but they opened up to each other more. I hope you liked it. Please keep posting and reviewing. **

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